NMP conducts stakeholders’ forum and media forum

Press Release
March 28, 2018

TACLOBAN CITY – As part of the Agency’s commitment to improve the maritime industry, the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) thru its Maritime Research and Development Division (MRDD) conducted a Stakeholders’ Forum and Media Forum on 22 March 2018 at The Bayleaf Intramuros, Manila.

The Stakeholders’ Forum served as a venue for NMP to present the three (3) completed researches in CY 2017, namely: Skills Gaps Analysis of Maritime Faculty in Philippine Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs); Gender Sensitivity Training for Seafarers (GSTS) Course: A Program Evaluation; and Responding to the Filipino Seafarers’ Training Requirements in the STCW 2010 Manila Amendments: Challenges and Opportunities.

Usec. Jacinto V. Paras quoted during his keynote speech an African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go with others.” He said that “Going far simply can’t be done without people to support you.” He emphasized the need to sustain cooperation and collaboration between and among maritime stakeholdersto be able to respond to the ever growing needs of the Filipino seafarers.

Findings of the researches were disseminated to the industry stakeholders from the government, maritime education and training (MET) institutions, maritime associations, seafarers’ organizations, shipping companies and manning agencies. Recommendations from the researches may serve as valuable inputs to policy making and program development that impact on the Filipino seafarers as a special workforce of the country.

The forum also served as a platform for NMP to launch its e-Research Information System which was developed to communicate to the public its conducted researches, engage interested stakeholders to collaborate in ongoing research undertakings, solicit researchable areas, enjoin the MET practitioners to contribute papers and articles for the Philippine Journal on Maritime Education and Training (PJMET) and facilitate linkages between and among stakeholders and concerned maritime agencies both for the private and the government entity.

Along with the Philippine Development Plan of the Duterte Administration, the NMP crafted its Strategic Plan 2018-2020 within its mandate and towards its vision as “The Philippines’ leader in maritime training, including e-learning and research”. The said plan was also presented during the forum for further inputs from the stakeholders as a way of validating its responsiveness to the industry that the NMP serves as well as to introduce possible areas of collaboration in the implementation of the plan.

The conduct of research is one of the mandates of NMP, in which research output are utilized to formulate policies and regulations for the improvement of the maritime manpower sector of the industry. NMP is also mandated to conduct researches on the latest maritime technology.

In the afternoon of the said day, a Media Forum was organized by NMP to communicate to the national media the highlights of accomplishments of the Agency, strategic directions and major programs, projects and activities towards its vision and mission.

There were forty-nine (49) participants to the stakeholders’ forum while the media forum was attended by twenty (20) media outlets mostly members of Maritime Journalists Association of the Philippines (MJAP), Inc., headed by Ms. Carmela I. Huelar, its President.

Aside from its research function, the NMP continues to upgrade its facilities and provide maritime trainings required pursuant to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention as amended in 2010 including value-adding courses towards improving the qualifications of Filipino seafarers for their employment acceptability and enhanced competitiveness.