Philippines thanks Apostleship

12 March 2010

Antonio Lagdameo, the Filipino ambassador, has hosted a reception to thank Apostleship of the Sea for their work assisting seafarers in need, many of whom are Filipino.

At the end of last year Apostleship of the Sea was honoured at an awards ceremony for its contribution to the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of Filipino workers in Britain.

The award was made by the International Inter-Agency Committee for Filipino Migrants and was presented in Quezon City in the Philippines.

Sheila Bailey, director of communications and fundraising, who represented Apostleship of the Sea at the reception, said: “It is a great honour for our chaplains to be recognised in this way. They are privileged to meet and work with many Filipinos who visit our ports and they do everything possible to ensure that their experience in Britain is a positive one.”

The award citation stated that it was being made for “fully assisting and supporting Filipino seafarers worldwide, not only in their spiritual and pastoral needs, but also in defending their rights and providing them counsel and other worthy activities while on shore”.

Mrs Bailey said: “I have put significant emphasis on bringing the plight of many seafarers to the public’s attention. I have also met with many MPs, ministers and civil servants to ensure that they are briefed on the issues our chaplains are dealing with on a daily basis.

“In this I have been assisted by Whitehouse Consulting, who have provided their services free of charge in support of seafarers.”