Maritime News
320,225 seafarers
certified by NMP
T
hirthy eight years since its foundation, the
National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP)
has issued 320,225 certificates in various
courses to Filipino seafarers and officers—a
milestone that positions NMP as a leading
and esteemed national maritime training
and research agency by the government.
An NMP certificate is considered to be that
benchmark for greater career opportunities and
advancements with the big players the global maritime
industry as it epitomizes true, professional seamanship
among Filipino seafarers.
Numbers aside, NMP continues to be at the forefront
of instilling levels of excellence among Filipino seafarers
by enhancing their skills to enable them to maintain
their competitiveness and sustain their world-class
reputation as quality professionals.
Established on May 1978 as a response to the
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (SCTW) convention obligating each maritime
member country to comply with its regulations, NMP
is mandated to: a) offer specialization and upgrading
courses for both licensed officers and ratings; and b) to
conduct researches and studies on the latest maritime
technologies and other related matters in the maritime
industry. On January 30, 1987, then President Corazon
C. Aquino signed E.O. 126, which attached NMP to
the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE),
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converting NMP from a state college to a DOLE
agency. Governed by a Board of Trustees, chaired by
the Secretary of the DOLE, the NMP then took off
producing more and more highly competitive seafarers.
Presently, NMP is the sole government maritime
training centre in the country.
NMP’s commitment towards excellence has
recently been lauded by DOLE Secretary Rosalinda
Dimapilis-Baldoz, who proudly cited on the occasion of
NMP’s 38th anniversary at DOLE’s Labour Governance
Learning Centre in Intramuros, “The training services
of the NMP significantly contribute to the enhancement
of the competence and competitiveness of the Filipino
seafarers in the international market. This, in turn
redound to the economic stability of the country through
the foreign currency remittances of Filipino seafarers
employed onboard international vessels.”
Ms. Baldoz also stressed how NMP’s maritime
training also contributes to the progress of the domestic
shipping industry because Filipino seafarers who choose
to remain in the country strengthen the local pool of
maritime manpower for domestic shipping.
Be it local or foreign vessels or routes, the
high standards of professionalism, competitiveness,
dedication and passion of the Filipino seafarer will truly
bear that unique touch honed by the intensive, up-todate, quality training that NMP takes pride in.