Tacloban City – A National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) alumnus shared his experience and relayed the advantages of a career at sea during the Day of the Seafarer celebration on 23 June 2017 at the NMP at Brgy. Cabalawan, Tacloban City.

Fifty-one year old Rainer G. Baylon, a homegrown seafarer from Tacloban City, was delighted to share his journey as a seafarer.

According to him, seafaring was his late mother’s dream job for him. When he was a little boy, she was attracted to a master’s uniform and curious how a mariner can navigate at night and arrive safely at his destination.

With her constant encouragement, he himself became interested on it. He enrolled at the University of the Visayas and took up Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation. He remembers sacrificing one semester to give way for the education of his elder brother due to financial difficulties at that time. He became an agent of an insurance company and used his earnings to help his parents finance for his schooling.

His journey as a seafarer was not easy. His first embarkation as an apprentice mate on board a domestic vessel was tough for him. “Apprentice time was hard for me onboard a domestic vessel. I have thought of backing out because of hard tasks given by senior officers. Lahat ng mahihirap na trabaho pinapagawa sa akin pati paglinis ng CR.” He thought of backing out. Yet, again, with his mother’s encouragement, he endured the adversities and completed his apprenticeship program and earned his degree.

It was the beginning of an enormously successful career for him. “In 1985, I took safety courses at the NMP. I was a fresh graduate at that time. I came back and took more trainings. More than half of my training certificates are from NMP.”, he said.

“At the age of 21, I assumed as Third Mate sa barko. Pinagbutihan ko ‘yon at napansin naman ng Kapitan kaya na-promote ako. Nag-overseas ako in 1994 with the encouragement of my friends. Pero hindi agad ako naka-opisyal. Nag-AB pa rin ako dahil ang galing domestic hindi puwede maging opisyal agad. So dinaanan ko na naman ang hirap. After some time, ang Bosun namin recommended me to the German captain. That time I was a Second Mate license holder. I earned the confidence of the captain and I became Second Mate on board. The rest was history. Ang huling contract ko ended April 2017 and I was the Master on that ship”, Baylon narrated.

He also disclosed the opportunities and advantages of a career at sea. “Everyday at sea is a new task of learning. It is an exciting feeling seeing different places and getting to know different cultures. Those are parts of the fulfilling journey of a seafarer. Of course, the compensation package of the company is another thing”, said Baylon.

When asked whether NMP was able to help him in his career, “Malaking bagay sa aming mga marino na ang NMP nasa Tacloban. Of course, kapag sinabing NMP, quality training yan. Kaya most of my trainings dito ko kinuha. Noong maging lecturer ako dito for 1 year ay malaking karangalan. I am very thankful to NMP. Hopefully, I will be able to share again my knowhow with my fellow Taclobanons”, he answered.

Capt. Baylon was one of the honorees of the NMP during the Day of the Seafarer Celebration wherein a simple but meaningful ceremony was held highlighting the extraordinary service Filipino seafarers render everyday of their professional lives and the impact of their unique contributions to national economy.

Meanwhile, the NMP, being the only government maritime training and research agency in the country, commits towards contributing to the employment acceptability of Filipinos especially the seafarers. It continues to upgrade its facilities and provide quality maritime trainings required pursuant to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention.

For more information of NMP’s maritime training programs please visit the NMP facebook page (facebook.com\nmptrainingcenter) and website www.nmp.gov.ph where all related information on NMP trainings are available.

By: Ma. Jasmin J. Andrade
Date & Time Posted: 2017-07-05 13:50:51