ILOILO is considered as a top supplier of talented and competent seafarers in the world and this could be attributed to the presence of women power leaders in the maritime industry, said Women in Maritime Philippines (Wimaphil) Western Visayas chapter President Ma. Teresa Sarabia.
Speaking at the opening of the weeklong celebration of the National Maritime Week on Monday, September 26, Sarabia said Iloilo hosts top schools offering maritime courses and contributed its share in linking the world and growing up its economy.
The celebration on September 26 to 30 focuses on the theme “Shipping: Indispensable to the World” aimed to focus on the critical link between the world’s commercial fleet of nearly 90,000 vessels in 171 member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) manned by more than a million seafarers carrying some 1.75 billion tons of import and export goods for the everyday lives of people on earth.
In Western Visayas, particularly in Iloilo City, Sarabia is head of three school campuses which offered maritime courses and related to the owners of John B. Lacson Maritime University which is considered as a premiere maritime school in the Visayas.
Regional Director Mary Ann Armi Arcilla is head of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) while Port Manager Rosenda Sumagaysay is head of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in Iloilo.
PPA is this year’s lead agency in the celebration of National Maritime Week 2016 pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 1560 celebrated by member agencies in the maritime industry, port community stakeholders and service providers, shipping and logistics companies, maritime schools and training centers and other maritime support institutions and organizations.
Arcilla said the government is facing the maritime industry with new vigor by providing better port facilities in several islands in the country.
Sumagaysay said the port management office covering Panay and Guimaras, is collaborating with the maritime industry partners in laying-out programs which raise the importance of shipping in supporting and sustaining global society giving IMO’s work a significance that reaches far beyond the industry itself.
The celebration starts simultaneous blowing of dressed ship’s horns for two minutes, followed by a mass, opening program, photo exhibit, search and rescue training, mangrove planting, medical and dental mission maritime skills Olympics, basic first aid and info drive on safety of fisherfolks, simulation of search and rescue and oil spill response demonstration at the river wharf, port management advisory council meeting, and culminating program.