Change is coming to the government’s maritime training program, with new training equipment from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Department of Labor and Employment said.
The DOLE said its National Maritime Polytechnic formally received the equipment at an event at the NMP Training Complex in Brgy. Cabalawan, Tacloban City.
“When disasters happen, we should not just recover from it, but reconstruct in such a way that it could mitigate damage if another disaster happens. The equipment rehabilitation of the NMP that we have turned over was designed with the ‘build back better’ policy in mind,” the DOLE quoted First Secretary Koji Otani, who represented Japanese ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa as saying.
“With this assistance, we hope to help the Philippines train world-class seafarers and at the same time provide equipment that will be used in times of disasters,” he added.
It said the donation is under the grant aid from the Japanese government, to help in rehabilitation and recovery efforts from super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), which devastated the Visayas in 2013.
Among the donated items are training equipment or simulators including:
– a tanker-type totally enclosed lifeboat and davit
– fast rescue boat and davit
– full mission global maritime distress safety system simulator
– full mission engine room simulator
– various safety equipment
NMP OIC-Executive Director Manuel Roldan expressed his gratitude to Japan’s government for its intervention through the JICA grant.
The NMP provides world-class maritime training to Filipino seafarers through specialized safety courses.
It also conducts researches for policy formulation. It is based in Cabalawan in Tacloban City, Leyte.
