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Filipino seafarers keep the world’s trade moving. Here’s how it all began
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- Filipino sailors constitute 25% to 30% of global ship crews, playing a crucial role in maintaining the world's merchant shipping and economy, a legacy tracing back to the Manila galleon trade during Spanish colonial times.
- The newly opened Museo del Galeon in Manila offers an immersive experience into the history of the Manila galleons, featuring a full-scale replica of the Espiritu Santo ship and interactive exhibits on the early global trade network between Asia and the Americas.
- The museum highlights the significant contributions of Filipino seafarers and shipbuilders, noting that about two-thirds of the galleon crews were Filipinos or Southeast Asians, praised historically for their maritime skills despite the perilous nature of the voyages.
- Today, approximately 400,000 to 500,000 Filipinos serve as merchant seafarers, the largest number from any nation, responsible for keeping 90% of global trade moving, with the museum serving as a tribute to their enduring maritime heritage and spirit.
