the bulk of its laborers came from just a few low-income countries: India and Indonesia and, especially, the Philippines. Filipinos tend to be favored above all others by shipowners because of their good English, as well as their willingness to work long hours, ask few impertinent questions, and accept low wages. At least 200,000 people working at sea hail from the Southeast Asian archipelago—often serving as primary breadwinners for large extended families.
