ISSUE OF NMP TRANSFER TO MARINA CLARIFIED

ED Romulo V. Bernardes of NMP during the Maritime Week Celebration Press Briefing at the PPA on September 25, 2017

TACLOBAN CITY – “The Eastern Visayas Block of the members of the House of Representatives is against this move. In fact, they have written the President opposing the move of MARINA to reduce the National Maritime Polytechnic into a mere research division,” says the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) Executive Director Romulo Bernardes.

This is the categorical statement of NMP’s Executive Director during the press conference held at the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) on 25 September 2017 when asked regarding the plan of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to acquire NMP.

ED Bernardes stressed that the NMP is created by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1369, a law, so that its mandate cannot be reduced by a mere Executive Order as pronounced by MARINA. He, however, emphasized that regardless of what government agency NMP will be part of, the agency will continue to serve the seafarers.

Meanwhile, 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. It also regularly conducts maritime studies to come up with policies for the improvement of the manpower sector of the industry.

Further, in a communication received by the NMP on 28 June 2017, the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) has informed the agency that it has already secured funding to implement the donation that was earlier pledged by AMOSUP in favor of NMP. Said donation is for the Supply, Delivery, Installation and Commissioning of BV Class Approved 20 Men Free Fall Lifeboat with Davit. The said facility is for the benefit of trainees taking the Proficiency on Survival Crafts and Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats (PSCRB).

Those interested to take NMP training programs may visit the NMP website www.nmp.gov.ph and its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/nmptrainingcenter) where all related information on NMP trainings are available.