NMP Ensures Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment

TACLOBAN CITY– The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), being a Gender and Development (GAD) advocate ensures the institutionalization of gender mainstreaming and women empowerment within the agency.

NMP recently conducted a workshop on the Formulation of the NMP GAD Agenda for 2020 – 2025 at the Hotel Alejandro on July 3-4, 2019 which was attended by the Agency’s executive staff, section and unit heads including the GAD committee members.

The training-workshop was part of NMP’s continuing program to mainstream gender concerns to make women’s as well as men’s concerns including gender issues focused on NMP’s clients–the Filipino seafarers and the agency itself an integral dimension in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programs, activities and projects as mandated under Republic Act No. 9710, or the Magna Carta of Women.

In his opening statement, NMP Executive Director Joel B. Maglunsod stressed the importance of unity in addressing gender issues and achieving stable GAD responsive plans and programs aligned with NMP’s mandate for the benefit of its clients and stakeholders.

“Nais kong magkaisa tayo upang ang ating pagkakaiba-iba ay makatulong upang makalikha tayo ng mga gender-responsive plans and programs at mabigyang solusyon ang kasalukuyang kinakaharap na gender issues ng ating ahensya.”, Exec. Dir. JoMag stated.

Resource Person during the two (2) day activity was Ms. Ma. Purisima Sanopo, a former Assistant Regional Director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in Regional Office No. VIII, and expert on gender sensitivity, gender-based analysis, and gender- responsive development planning and budgeting, expressed her appreciation on the NMP’s efforts to address gender issues since the last GAD workshop held in 2016.

One of the participants of the workshop, Ms. Peñafiel Flor Legua, NMP Head of the Human Resource and Management Section (HRMS) also mentioned, “Our Recruitment and Selection System was already established in consideration of the policies on non-sex and non-age discrimination, it’s already in the policy”.

The said workshop highlighted the presentation of NMP’s Gender Analysis, Identification of Gender Issues, Formulation of GAD Vision, Mission, and Goals, Consolidation of the GAD Agenda, GAD Strategic Framework, and the Preliminary Inputs to the GAD Strategic Plan that would later on be transformed into the final GAD Strategic Plan of the Agency for the coming five (5) years.

Noteworthy that with the sustained commitment and hope for gender equality and along with the need to address gender related problems and issues in the maritime sector, specifically the low level of awareness on GAD concepts among seafarers caused by lack of interventions for seafarers as a specialized workforce group, NMP regularly conducts Gender Sensitivity Training for Seafarers (GSTS) to its enrolled trainees. This is a non-STCW training course developed by NMP for its client – the Filipino seafarers.  The course was designed to increase the level of awareness and appreciation on GAD concepts as well as to encourage advocacy among Filipino seafarers, specifically NMP trainees, on the promotion of gender equality directed towards developing a gender sensitive maritime sector.  GSTS is being conducted by NMP for FREE. Since 2006 until June 2019, a total of eighteen thousand eight hundred thirty-four (18, 834) trainees took the said training.

Also, in line with the NMP’s vision of being the Philippines’ leader in maritime training, including e-learning and research, NMP is embarking on the conversion of GSTS to an e-Learning Platform/Format and is scheduled to be completed within the year.

In CY 2016, NMP also conducted a research entitled “NMP Gender Sensitivity Training for Seafarers (GSTS) Course: A Program Evaluation”.  Said research serves an assessment of the NMP GSTS program which is pursuant to the guidelines of the government encouraging agencies to assess the gender-responsiveness of its major programs and projects.

Moreover, NMP joins in the yearly observance of National Women’s Month every March and March 8 as National Women’s Day pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 224 and 227 s. 1988, and Republic Act. No. 6949 s. 1990.

NMP also acknowledges the working mothers of the institution and recognizes the importance of breastfeeding which led to the allotment of a Lactation Station in compliance to RA 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009.

Likewise, a proposal on the Use of Gender-Fair Language is currently being crafted for further adoption in policies, memoranda, and communications of the Agency.

It can also be recalled that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in celebration of the World’s Maritime Day, crafted the theme, “Empowering Women in the Maritime Industry”, which gives strong emphasis in the maritime world on the importance and value of women within professional ranks  and provides opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of gender equality in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

Meanwhile, in its sound efforts to fulfill and realize its mandate, 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 disseminate NMP completed researches, present the Research Agenda and engage the industry stakeholders to collaborate in the research activities.

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 OWWA registered seafarers to avail of the NMP-OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) Seafarers’ Upgrading Program (SUP) and Skills for Employment Scholarship Program (SESP) which entitles the beneficiary to receive financial assistance for training costs from the OWWA.