NMP EMPOWERS WOMEN IN THE MARITIME INDUSTRY

(Top Photo) NMP employees wearing the 2019 NWMC Advocacy Tshirt (Middle Photos) NMP employees with ED Maglunsod in the photo booth and NMP women employees performing survival techniques at sea (Bottom Photo) Participants in the NMP Research Forum

TACLOBAN CITY – The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), the sole government maritime training and research center and an active Gender And Development (GAD) advocate, commemorates the valuable contribution of women in the maritime industry as it conducts activities in line with the National Women’s Month Celebration (NWMC).

In their speeches during the flag-raising ceremony which coincided with the opening of the 2019 NWMC on March 4, Deputy Executive Director Mayla N. Macadawan and Executive Director Joel B. Maglunsod stressed the importance of the celebration.

“We are enjoying women empowerment right now, women freedom, all that sort, it did not happen just for one day. It went through a process of debate, it went through a process of discussion in international platform. The future of the maritime industry is no longer a man-dominated world and we expect an increased number of women working in the maritime sector.”, DED Macadawan said.

“Malaki ang kanilang kontribusyon sa ekonomiya kasi kung ano ang makaya ng lalake, makaya din ng kababaihan. Yung tanong kung kaya magseafaring ang mga babae, sa deck o engine man, eh kaya!”, ED Maglunsod emphasized.

Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 6949 s. 1990 declaring March 8 of every year as the National Women’s Day and in the agency’s efforts to empower the women working in the maritime industry, NMP conducted the “Serbisyo para kay Juan at Juana” program wherein free training and dormitory fees were offered to every female trainee enrolled from 08 March until the last day of March 2019.

In collaboration with the Cristina’s Learn and Earn Program (CLEP), free pampering sessions like manicure, pedicure, massage and haircut were also given to NMP trainees, employees and visitors on March 8.

Training on Personal Survival Technique (PST) and Elementary First-Aid (EFA) for NMP female employees and Job Order Workers was organized and conducted on 22 & 29 March respectively to equip the participants of first aid methods and survival techniques in order for them to respond appropriately in cases of emergencies.

A research forum on the study “The Perception of NMP Female Trainees towards the Seafaring Profession” was attended by forty-six (46) trainee-participants on 14 March 2018.

The study shows that NMP female trainees view seafaring as a positively possible career where women may be able to thrive in the future despite several challenges. Consistently, NMP records reveals that from CY 2016-2018 there were three thousand, four hundred fifty-two (3,452) female trainees who availed different courses offered by NMP and still continues to increase this year.

Other NMP activities include hanging of the 2019 NWMC Official Streamer, playing of the All-Women Cast Lupang Hinirang Video during flag raising ceremonies, wearing of 2019 NWMC Advocacy T-shirt during Fridays in March, 2019 NWMC photo booth, production and distribution of Information/Education/Communication (IEC) materials and collaterals during the International Women’s Day, film showing of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) video clips on women empowerment in the maritime industry, uploading of the official logo and other NWMC advocacy materials in the NMP website and facebook account, Stakeholders’ Forum presenting the completed researches and 2019-2021 NMP Research Agenda and issuance of agency policy on use of Gender-Fair Language and participation in “Women’s March” organized by the Tacloban City GAD Council.

The NMP continues to upgrade its facilities and provide maritime trainings required pursuant to the 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.

Those interested in NMP research undertakings may visit the NMP website (www.nmp.gov.ph) and access the e-Research Information System Portal which is designed to gather inputs for NMP’s research, dissemination of NMP completed researches and other articles pertaining to maritime research.

For more information about NMP trainings viewers may visit the agency’s facebook page (www.facebook.com/nmptrainingcenter) where all related information on NMP trainings are available.

Further, NMP encourages seafarers to avail of the NMP-OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) Seafarers’ Upgrading Program (SUP) which entitles the beneficiary to receive financial assistance for training costs from the OWWA.