FOUR decades separate the seafaring careers of veteran mariner Alfredo Calaguas and his son-in-law, Jerome Cudanin. Yet despite the generational gap, both share the same commitment to a profession that keeps global trade moving. What has changed is what it means to be a seafarer.
As the world marks the Day of the Seafarer, it is worth reflecting on how dramatically the profession has evolved and what those changes mean for the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who continue to dominate the global maritime workforce.
The transformation of the Philippine seafaring profession has been driven largely by international regulations introduced over the past three decades. While seafarers in the 1980s relied heavily on traditional navigation skills, manual record-keeping and onboard experience, today's maritime workforce must comply with far more rigorous training, certification, security, medical fitness and technology requirements under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). The 2010 Manila Amendments further expanded these requirements to include competencies in electronic navigation systems, security awareness, leadership and modern shipboard technologies.
For Filipino seafarers, the changes have been particularly significant.
In the 1980s, entry into the profession was relatively straightforward. Maritime schools such as the Philippine Maritime Institute (PMI) and the 206-year-old Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) were among the country's leading training institutions.
The establishment of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in 1974 through Presidential Decree No. 474 and the Philippines' adoption of the STCW Convention transformed maritime education and training. Maritime schools became subject to stricter oversight, curricula were standardized, certifications gained international recognition, and Filipino seafarers earned a reputation among the world's most competent maritime professionals. These reforms helped cement the Philippines' position as one of the world's leading suppliers of ocean-going seafarers.
Before these reforms, however, training was less standardized, requirements were fewer, and many officers advanced through a combination of sea service, experience and company-sponsored upgrading programs. The Philippines was already recognized as a major source of maritime manpower, but the industry was not yet governed by the extensive compliance framework that exists today.
"A cadet could graduate from a maritime institution, obtain basic certifications and begin accumulating sea time. While challenges certainly existed, the path to becoming an officer was generally more direct and less costly," says Calaguas, who spent more than three decades at sea before retiring some 20 years ago.
He recalls his own academic journey, which comprised two years of classroom instruction followed by two years of onboard training, a process that does not differ greatly from today's educational structure.
"All we strived for was to finish classes, get our seaman's book, finish the accreditation requirements and get on board," Calaguas narrates. "Then when at sea our contracts were longer--sometimes several years--because when you prove yourself worthy or useful on a vessel, they keep you. Many Filipinos were like that, and I've kept many friendships from my sea travels."
Today's aspiring seafarers face a far more complex journey.
Before setting foot aboard a vessel, a cadet may be required to complete multiple STCW courses, medical examinations, simulator training, security certifications and documentary requirements. Even after graduation, securing the sea service necessary for officer licensing can be difficult because of intense competition for cadet berths. For many young seafarers, the challenge is no longer simply earning a degree but finding opportunities to gain the practical experience required to advance.
The financial burden has also increased considerably. Training fees, refresher courses, license renewals, medical examinations, travel expenses and documentation costs can amount to substantial sums over the course of a maritime career. Families often view these expenditures as investments in a profession that remains one of the country's most reliable sources of overseas employment, but the costs are significantly higher than those faced by previous generations.
Life onboard has changed as well.
A seafarer in the 1980s worked with paper charts, manual calculations, handwritten logs and largely mechanical systems. Modern ships are equipped with electronic chart display systems, integrated bridge technology, satellite communications, computerized cargo management systems and increasingly sophisticated environmental monitoring equipment. Engineers now oversee automated machinery and electronic control systems that would have seemed futuristic decades ago.
"Now technology has improved safety and efficiency, but it has also increased the demands placed on crews. On the ship now we must be as comfortable and our health is given a lot of attentions. Also we have modern digital systems versus traditional maritime duties," Cudanin commented, saying that this requires extensive training, constant upskilling and new certifications.
For many Filipino seafarers in the 1980s, contact with family meant waiting weeks or even months for letters. Radio calls were expensive and infrequent. Once a ship left port, separation from loved ones was a reality that had to be accepted. Letters often took 15 to 30 days to arrive.
Communication with home offers another striking contrast.
"Even as recent at the early 2000s, communications was through expensive satellite calls. Now we are on wi-fi 24 hours a day," Cudanin said. "Now we have Messenger, Viber, Facetime for video calls, so in constant contact with our families."
Financial concerns, family issues and personal problems can now reach seafarers instantly, even while they are thousands of miles from home.
Career advancement has likewise become more competitive.
"The academic rigor matches the physical challenges. When I asked my father-in-law about his own compliance testing I was suprised of how complex it has become now."
"In earlier decades, a capable mariner could often progress steadily from rating to officer and eventually to master or chief engineer through experience and demonstrated competence," Calaguas explained. "Today, advancement requires a lot certifications, assessments and compliance requirements."
"Competition is fiercer, expectations are higher and the standards are more exacting," Cudanin added.
Many veteran Filipino captains recall spending long hours chipping rust, handling mooring lines and maintaining equipment with limited automation. They acknowledge that the physical demands of the job were often greater than they are today. Yet many also argue that modern seafarers face heavier mental and administrative workloads, driven by inspections, audits, documentation requirements and constant regulatory oversight.
Reaching the same rank held by previous generations often requires more years of preparation, more certifications, greater expense and a deeper commitment to continuous learning.
Four decades separate Calaguas and Cudanin, but both recognize the same truth. The sea still rewards discipline, competence and sacrifice. What has changed is the price of earning them.
For Calaguas, experience was once the greatest teacher. For Cudanin's generation, learning never stops. Every regulation, every certification and every technological advance demands that today's seafarers continually adapt to a profession that grows more complex with every passing year.
As the world marks the Day of the Seafarer, the comparison between two generations is not about deciding who had it harder. It is about recognizing how the profession has evolved. Filipino seafarers continue to carry the world's trade, but they now carry a heavier burden of knowledge, accountability and responsibility than ever before.