Filipino seafarers based in Metro Manila no longer have to travel to Tacloban to complete a key maritime safety course, following a formal arrangement between two government agencies that brings the training closer to the National Capital Region.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) put their names to a Memorandum of Agreement setting out how the free Updating Course on Basic Training – Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (UBT-PSSR) will run at the OWWA Seafarers Welfare Center. The signing coincided with the start of classes for the program’s first group of trainees.
Closing the distance to the capital
For years, seafarers seeking this type of training under NMP had to make the trip to its Tacloban facility. The new agreement shifts a delivery point to the Aseana Business Park area in Parañaque, where the welfare center is located at Monarch Parksuites along Bradco Avenue. The center is run by the OWWA Regional Welfare Office NCR and continues to host training, welfare, and capability-building activities for seafarers and their families.
Why the course matters
The BT-PSSR forms part of the mandatory basic training required of seafarers under standards set by the International Maritime Organization, covering the knowledge and skills needed for safe and efficient work aboard ship. Authorities have tied the updated version to broader changes meant to address bullying, harassment, and misconduct at sea.
Backing for upskilling
The agencies framed the program as part of the government’s push to keep overseas Filipino workers competitive, citing President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instruction to improve the welfare, skills, and employability of OFWs. Working alongside NMP and MARINA, OWWA said it aims to give more seafarers a route to maintain their certifications and meet international benchmarks without the financial burden often attached to required training.
The welfare center is positioned to keep functioning as a base for these efforts in the NCR, extending free and more convenient access to training that seafarers need to stay employable in global shipping.
