NMP
Press Conference hosted by the PIA RO VIII on 18 September
2020. |
NMP answers the
call for a sustainable maritime future
By
National Maritime Polytechnic
September 29, 2020
TACLOBAN CITY – The
National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) joins in celebration of the 2020
World Maritime Week themed as “Sustainable Shipping For A
Sustainable Planet” and the 2020 National Maritime Week with the
theme “Working Together as One for Sustainable Maritime
Philippines”.
As a kick-off activity for
a week-long celebration, NMP collaborated with the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) RO 8 to drumbeat the Agency’s programs and
projects in relation to the Maritime Week Celebration to be featured
in the online press conference dubbed as “PANININDUGAN: A Virtual
Kapihan” hosted by PIA last 18 September 2020.
“NMP, as the sole
government maritime training and research center of the country
consequently plays a crucial role in the enhancement of skills and
competencies of Filipino seafarers as articulated in our mission.
Being the government’s maritime training arm, NMP should therefore
be able to lead in the country’s efforts of grooming the Filipino
seafarers to become the choice seafarers in the highly competitive
arena of seafarers in the whole world.”, NMP Executive Director Joel
B. Maglunsod said in his message during the forum.
Different government
agencies particularly the members of the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE)-Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) also shared
their activities and projects during the virtual Kapihan
particularly those concerning the Filipino seafarers. Also present
were various media personnel and PIA managers from different areas
of the region.
Accordingly, during the
3-day Maritime Industry Symposium on 23-25 September 2020
spearheaded by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), NMP was
invited as one of the Reactors during the 2nd day wherein NMP
highlighted its mandate on the provision of maritime training
towards transitioning to the “new normal” specifically making NMP
training programs accessible to seafarers even during the health
crisis.
ED Jomag announced NMP’s
innovations that aside from the implementation of NMP’s Post-ECQ
Operational Plan that limits the number of trainees accommodated,
the online courses on Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the
Maritime Sector (PADAMS) and STD/HIV/AIDS Prevention in the Maritime
Sector (SHAPIMS) were launched last August 2020 while the Gender
Sensitivity Training for Seafarers (GSTS) online course will follow
which aims to improve the accessibility of the training to
client-seafarers including those on-board ships and at the same time
promote Gender and Development advocacy on fairness and equity in
the workplace among male and female seafarers.
The online Consolidated
MARPOL 73/78 course and the blended Training Course for Instructors
(IMO Model Course 6.09) and Assessment, Examination and
Certification of Seafarers (IMO Model Course 3.12) are in the
pipeline for their immediate offering. Also, the development of the
Vessel Crane Operator Course and the Freefall Enclosed Lifeboat
Course in blended learning are for completion within the year.
Further, the review of two
(2) non-mandatory courses titled Oily Water Separator and Updating
Basic Training are ongoing for conversion to blended learning.
Relatively, the “Train Now
Pay Later” Program was conceptualized to allow qualified cadets and
graduates to undergo the required trainings subject to repayment
after the first year of shipboard employment. This program will
address the dilemma of many seafarers including the graduates from
the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy who are unable to attend the
required training courses due to the high cost of trainings and
miscellaneous fees.
The implementation of the
NMP-OWWA Seafarers’ Upgrading Program and Skills for Employment
Scholarship Program have likewise assisted the seafarers in availing
of financial assistance to cover the costs of training fees.
These innovations are
geared towards providing our seafarers with the necessary
competencies for their enhanced employability that are aligned to
the priorities in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and
in transitioning to a “new and better normal”.
“The NMP remains open for
collaborative undertakings that give priority to our seafarers and
maritime-allied professionals such that we altogether empower them
with the technical competence as they face the challenges in these
trying times.”, ED Jomag stated in the Closing Program of the
Maritime Week Celebration on 25 September 2020 hosted by the MARINA
RO8.
Meanwhile, NMP continues
to conduct face-to-face trainings with strict implementation of the
Maritime Industry Authority’s (MARINA) approved Post-Enhanced
Community Quarantine Operational Plan and other health and safety
protocols as required by the Department of Health (DOH), Department
of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and local government unit (LGU).