Saturday, August 16, 2008 Rising demand for seafarers noted By Joy Romares-Sevilla
THE president of the Davao Merchant Marine Academy (DMMA) in Davao City said there is an increasing manpower demand in the maritime industry, adding that from 2006 to 2010, some 5,615 new vessels will be coming out and they would need additional officers and seafarers.
"There is a big shortage of ship officers, the need continues to increase. It will only take six months for a ship to be constructed, but it will take four years for an institution to produce quality marine graduates," said Lorenzo Edwin Eusebio during Friday's Kapihan sa PIA.
Eusebio said from the graduates, they found that students scored very low in subjects like Math, Physics, and English. He said schools that are producing graduates from the secondary level have to intensify the screening process for these students before they enter college.
The same statement was disclosed by Dr. Fidel Japos, assistant chief of the secondary education of the DepEd, saying that base on the study conducted by the department, students are really deficient in English, Science, and Math subjects.
Japos, however, said the department has instituted a program to enhance the skills of teachers since many of them, he said, are teaching these subjects even if they are not major in these areas.
"There were many teachers who are not majoring in these subjects, but they are teaching such. The department encourages them to undergo two summers of learning so that these subjects will become their minor," Japos said.
Meanwhile, Virgilio Armonia, regional head of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), said that because of the increasing demand for seafarers, the office has simplified the requirements in getting a seafarer's book.
"Before, we issue different seafarer's books to fishing, domestic, and overseas employment, but today, because of the increasing demand in seafarers, we already simplified the requirements to avoid hassles," Armonia said.
Armonia said this is one way that the agency can contribute to promote the maritime industry not only locally, but globally as well.
