Gov’t maritime training center surpasses target

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 2 (PNA) -- State-run National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) has surpassed its seafarers’ training target for 2016 as the demand for quality Filipino mariners continue to rise.

Manuel Roldan, NMP executive director said the agency trained a total of 10,557 trainees composed of aspiring seafarers, active seafarers, maritime instructors and assessors or other allied personnel in the maritime industry.

The number is 5.57 percent above its target of 10,000 trainees last year. Participants attended 29 training courses intended for 2016.

NMP assessed all qualified certificated trainees against the competency standard of the standards of training, certification, and watch keeping.

Roldan said that 2,082 of them earned the certificate of proficiency from the Maritime Industry Authority.

Roldan said that as a part of NMP’s commitment for prompt service, all of the trainees received their certificates within two weeks from successful completion of all courses requirements. 

Likewise, 11 percent of the respondents rated NMP trainings as good or better.

“These figures reflect the NMP’s untiring endeavors to ensure the quality of training offerings,” he added.

The maritime training center is now pushing for the development and enhancement of courses addressing the skills requirements of domestic seafarers.

He said that NMP needs to respond to the developments taking into consideration the possible impacts of the ASEAN integration.

“Let us mobilize our resources and develop courses that cater to the needs of our domestic seafarers. We have to enhance their qualifications through trainings and make them the choice sea farers in the South East Asian route” said Roldan.

The NMP will also develop new courses in 2017 such as Oily Water Separator, Crude Oil Washing, Inert Gas System and Cargo Winch Operation.

Roldan said that NMP continuous to upgrade its facilities and provide maritime trainings required pursuant to the standards of training, certification and watch keeping for seafarers convention and other value adding courses.

The NMP was established on May 1, 1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1369 to meet the need for a maritime training center in the country.

Initial operations were handled by employees from the National Seamen Board. The course offerings consisted of Basic Messman Course as well as the supervision of radar-related courses in Manila-based maritime schools.

Expanded operations of the Polytechnic became possible with the acquisition in 1980 of a 17-hectare lot in Cabalawan village, this city. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/EGR