NMP SOON TO OFFER SAFE MOORING PRACTICES COURSE & OPERATION OF AN OILY WATER SEPARATOR COURSE

**On-site conduct of the Operation of an Oily Water Separator Course (left photo) and Safe Mooring Practices Course (right photo)**

TACLOBAN CITY – Carrying its mandate to upgrade the skills and competencies of the maritime labor workforce, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) approves the offering of the Safe Mooring Practices Course and the Operation of an Oily Water Separator Course.

Following the recently concluded BOT meeting last 27 June 2019, the said courses were presented to the board and were subsequently approved for offering.

One of the major problems at sea is the oil spill consequence harming both the earth’s ecosystem and the economy. The operation of an Oily Water Separator Course offering will provide officers and crew onboard the proper operation of the Oily Water Separator (OWS).

With the use of one of the very important equipment carried on board, the OWS will ensure that water discharged overboard is within legal limits.

The OWS must be operated according to Marine Pollution (MARPOL) regulations. Relatively, the MARPOL Annex I (Prevention of Pollution by Oil) was implemented by MARPOL 73/78 covention to address the pollution by oil coming from ships.

A pilot-class on the conduct of the said course was held on May 17, 2019 at Room 109, NMP Training Building with twenty-four (24) participants.

Correspondingly, the conduct of Safe Mooring Practices Course will ensure that ships’ crew, harbor pilots, and those involved in the docking operations are equipped with the principles and skills in the safe and efficient mooring and unmooring of ships.

The course was designed in cooperation with the Roble Shipping Incorporated (RSI).

A pilot class was conducted last March 28, 2019 at the RSI Building in Cebu City. It was participated in by twenty-four (24) seafarers of the RSI.

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