Manila calls for seafarers to go through anti-piracy training

The Philippines has ordered its seafarers, who constitute about a third of the world's commercial sailors, to go through anti-piracy training before they will be allowed to board ships, the labour secretary said Monday.The training, which lasts about eight hours, will be mandatory starting Jan. 15.

Sailors will not be armed and training classes will not include the handling of firearms, Capt. Rex Recomite, a manager at the Norwegian Training Center in Manila told Associated Press.

The course will teach sailors how to detect approaching pirates and who to communicate with in case of an attack, he said. The guidelines include telling sailors to go full speed ahead in case the crew detects small vessels nearby, and to avoid sailing near coastlines, Recomite said.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)