Royal Caribbean Cruises to Increase Hiring of Filipinos Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) has announced plans to hire more Filipino talent, targeting to add another 10,000 Filipino crew members to their current pool of 20,000 over the next five years. This was announced by RCCL Chairman and CEO Richard Fain during a press briefing held last January 26, 2016 at the Sofitel Manila.

“Filipinos represent our company’s largest group of At Sea employees,” said Paul T. Parker, Chief Human Resources Officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Excelling in a range of shipboard positions across RCCL’s various luxury cruise line brands, Filipino crew members are instrumental in helping “Deliver the Wow!” to the cruise giant’s passengers from all over the world. He added that RCCL is “grateful to PTC for their continued partnership and guidance,” through which they have been able to continue to harness the competency and talents of PTC’s global maritime professionals.

The move to increase the hiring of Filipinos comes as RCCL continues to take advantage of the many tourism opportunities in the Philippines, adding exciting local destinations such as Manila and Boracay into their cruise itineraries. Ships from RCCL’s Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International have made port calls in the Philippines over the past few years, with many more still on the way, bringing with them thousands of foreign tourists to experience that it is truly More Fun in the Philippines.

Ambassador Carlos Salinas Conferred with the Order of SikatunaPTC congratulates Ambassador Carlos C. Salinas on his being honored with the Order of Sikatuna Rank of Grand Cross (Datu), Gold Distinction, by President Benigno S. Aquino III at a ceremony held at the Reception Hall of Malacañan Palace last January 11, 2016. The Order of Sikatuna is conferred upon individuals for their outstanding and meritorious service to the Republic of the Philippines in the development and promotion of political, economic, and cultural relations with other countries.

Ambassador Salinas, who was enrolled in the roster of the Order of Sikatuna, was recognized for his exceptional service to the country as Philippine Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra. Over the last five years, Ambassador Salinas worked towards the accomplishment of his vision for the Philippines to assume its rightful place on the world stage. Towards this end, through his efforts, the Spanish Congress issued an Official Declaration pronouncing Spain’s commitment towards the enhancement of Spanish - Philippine economic cooperation, with Spain serving as the gateway for the Philippines into Europe and Latin America, and vice versa.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Salinas was recognized for the following achievements: forging increased Philippine-Spain defense cooperation; pursuing important research that led to the discovery of historical documents that strengthened the country’s claim over Bajo de Masinloc; promoting Philippine maritime interests in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Maritime Safety Authority (EMSA); arranging for important visits of Philippine government officials to better understand Spain’s experience in managing its various Autonomous Regions, thus contributing to peace-building efforts in the Southern Philippines; and negotiating numerous economic and cultural exchange initiatives such as the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Department of Tourism and

the Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior (ICEX) España Exportación e Inversiones of Spain for the conduct of Madrid-Fusión-Manila, among others.

Coming full circle, Ambassador Salinas was witness to the largest investments ever made by a Filipino businessman, not only in Spain, but in all of Europe, in the food and beverage industry, as well as, in real estate, where today the Filipino flag flies proudly outside one of Madrid’s tallest buildings. In his own way, Ambassador Salinas, as founder of the PTC Group, has remained true to the company’s vision of “moving the world, in more ways than one.”

02/2016 Volume 12 Issue 1

Northern Star Energy Corporation has received ISO 9001-2008 Certification for its Quality Management System following an audit conducted last November 5 to 6, 2015 by international certification body and classification society, DNV-GL. The certification is an affirmation of Northern Star’s commitment to provide consistent and reliable service to its valued customers and partners. With the Certification which is valid for three years, Northern Star is poised to continually raise the bar on customer satisfaction through the regular review and constant enhancement of its Quality Management System and annual surveillance audits.

Concurrently, Northern Star has been expanding in Northern Luzon to bring its network to a total of 46 stations. Among the company’s 2015 highlights are the establishment of its new Caltex Service Station in Laoag City, and the addition of the Mt. Province area into its LUISA Branded Marketer (BM) territory. In November, Northern Star acquired the Caltex Session Road station in Baguio and purchased BM assets for North East Luzon from BMS Tagorda Co. Inc. in December. Closing the year, Northern Star assumed the rights for the BM areas of Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Cagayan, Ifugao, Aurora and Quirino.

Northern Star Achieves ISO 9001 Certification

PHILCAMSAT Achieves HELM Recognition from the Merchant Navy Training Board The Philippine Center for Advanced Maritime Simulation and Training (PHILCAMSAT) has recently received recognition from the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB), the shipping industry’s central body for promoting and developing sector specific education, training and skills, for its Management Level Program Course on Human Element Leadership and Management (HELM). The recognition, valid from January 1 to June 30, 2016, certifies that the course offered by PHILCAMSAT meets the latest mandatory syllabus requirements as laid down by the MNTB.

The recognition was formally granted during a simple ceremony held in London last February 4 attended by Glenys Jackson, MNTB Head; Adrian Mundin, Nautical Manager, Safety & Environment at the UK Chamber of Shipping; Dr. Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr., Maritime Industry Authority Administrator; Karen Avelino, PTC Executive Director; and Gerardo Borromeo, PTC CEO. PHILCAMSAT commenced the initial run of its HELM course last January 4 to 8 at its training facility at First Maritime Place in Makati. Intended for a ship’s top officers: captain, chief mate, master, chief engineer or second engineer; the 5-day course aims to help participants demonstrate effective behavior and critical thinking in the face of challenging situations on board. HELM is comprised of comprehensive lectures and simulation exercises which include sessions that allow participants to recount to one another their challenging experiences on board and how they managed these situations. With the guidance of a well-experienced lecturer and a professional psychologist, participants were trained on managing life-threatening situations on board through proper resource management, good teamwork and the exercise of leadership skills. HELM classes are scheduled every week and is offered for free to all IMEC Members. A course fee applies to Non-IMEC members. Interested parties may register by calling (02) 898-1174 or 798-1111 loc 3007.

RCCL Chairman and CEO Richard Fain speaking to the press.

Health Metrics Inaugurates Iloilo BranchTo cater to the more than 52,000 seafarers based in the Western Visayas region, Health Metrics opened its Iloilo branch last January 20. The diagnostic clinic is Health Metric’s second after its Makati branch and is located at the 2nd Floor of Manfred’s Place in Gen. Luna St., Iloilo City. The clinic will offer a wide range of diagnostic and laboratory services and will also help educate seafarers’ families on health and wellness concerns. “Health Metrics Iloilo will not just focus on seafarers; we will also open this clinic for the general public – for consultations, obstetrics, family medicine, and pediatrics. It will be a general clinic,” said Health Metrics Medical Director Dr. Antonio Roberto Abaya, noting that it will be a one-stop shop for Ilonggos’ medical needs.With education and prevention as one of the clinic’s main thrusts, Dr. Abaya shared that the clinic

is doing extensive research to accurately identify the causes of illnesses among Filipino seafarers. He added that they have the biggest database of this information as a result of research they have conducted over the past eight years. “If we know the cause of illness, then we know the proper way to prevent it. That is the thrust of Health Metrics,” he said.

Complementing its extensive health research, Health Metrics boasts of state-of-the-art facilities made even more efficient through its paperless processes – a first in medical diagnostics in Iloilo City. Using barcode technology to speed up the clinic’s processes, Health Metrics also uses electronic medical records to ensure that patients’ files can be accessed by both its Makati and Iloilo branches. Its online appointment system also provides patients a more expedient way to schedule their consultations. The Functional Capacity Evaluation, a test of body kinetics to determine the physical capacity of a person, is another key service offered by Health Metrics, one of only three medical clinics in the Philippines to do so. “We test all aspects of their body strength and movement to get a better picture of the patient’s physical capabilities,” explained Abaya.

Largest Human Anchor Formed at the University of AntiqueAbout 6,000 students and faculty members of the University of Antique (UA) gathered on January 19 to vie for the Guinness World Record of the world’s largest human anchor. The anchor formation was a response to a challenge from ANGKLA maritime party-list and was organized as part of the University’s 62nd founding anniversary celebration. “This is evidence that anything is possible if we work together,” ANGKLA Vice-Chairman Capt. Ronald Enrile said of the human anchor which was formed in less than five minutes.“This feat will surely put UA on the world map” Capt. Geronimo Dolor, College of Maritime Studies Dean, said.

The formation will be included in the 2016 Guinness Book of World Records “as validated by external auditors and confirmed by a representative from Guinness.” This event was made possible by ANGKLA, PTC and the UA community.

Celebrity Millennium Visits Boracay The MS Celebrity Millennium of Celebrity Cruises made a call on the island of Boracay, Aklan last January 26 as part of its 14-Night Vietnam and Philippine Cruise. Departing from Singapore, Celebrity Millennium docked at Vietnam, Hongkong and Manila before stopping in Aklan. To commemorate the vessel’s inaugural visit to the island, an exchange of plaques between the Aklan Provincial Government, Department of Tourism Region VI, the Local Government Unit of Malay and Celebrity Cruises was conducted on board the luxury ship.

Meanwhile, the 2,138 passengers and 920 crewmembers of the ship were welcomed by Ati-atihan dancers at Cagban Port before going on a one-day excursion around the island’s pristine beaches. The ship then continued its voyage to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia before returning to Singapore.Celebrity Millennium is the first luxury cruise ship to visit Boracay this year and will return to the island on November 22, 2016.

Gerardo Borromeo at the Norway Maritime ConferencePTC CEO Gerardo Borromeo was a speaker at the first Norway Maritime Conference held last January 28 to 29, 2016 at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort in Cebu where he discussed the impact of ASEAN integration on Philippine maritime manpower. More than 200 industry leaders from Norway, the Philippines and various parts of Asia took part in the conference to discuss today’s increasingly complex maritime challenges.With the theme “Waves of Changes: Setting the Course Together,” the conference gathered government leaders, regulators, ship owners, crew management companies, maritime training professionals, educational institutions, and other interest groups who discussed strategies that will ensure the industry’s continued growth while addressing its

current issues. The conference was divided into three main sections: Maritime Trends and Expectations; Green Growth in a Blue Market; and the Key to Success through Competence.

Speaking on the first day of the conference, Mr. Borromeo said, “Instead of seeing ourselves as a country that provides maritime labor, we should more importantly aspire to emerge as a global center for maritime services, on top of the position we currently hold as a leading source of maritime professionals.” Other notable speakers discussed the critical areas of maritime human resources, competence development and performance, environment, innovation, safety at sea, and corruption and bribery at port. “The maritime sector has for many years been the cornerstone of Norwegian-Philippine bilateral cooperation – and it still is,” said Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Førner. “Norwegian ship owners made a wise and forward-looking decision a generation ago when they started recruiting seafarers from the Philippines.” Today, there are more than 25,000 Filipino seafarers onboard Norwegian owned or controlled vessels.

PTC Sets All Hands on DeckAs it enters its 37th year, the PTC Group embarks on an organization-wide campaign dubbed as “The PTC Group on the Move...All Hands on Deck!” This very timely endeavor is designed to drive the PTC Group to further evolve into a total, integrated human capital development enterprise providing world-class

talents, products and services sustained by passion, strategy, technology, processes and people.

The campaign will be formally launched at the company’s anniversary celebration this month and will be implemented through a series of informative and engaging activities scheduled throughout the year for all PTC Group employees. To reinforce this program, a Leadership and Personal Effectiveness (LEADPEP) Workshop was conducted for senior officers of the PTC Group last January 20 to 23. The LEADPEP was spearheaded by Mr. Ramon Medina and Ms. Geraldine Baricaua and was the first of a series of training seminars to be conducted in the months ahead.

Anchor for Excellence Holds Preliminaries in Luzon and Visayas ANGKLA and PTC continued its search for the country’s brightest cadets as preliminary legs of the Anchor for Excellence Maritime Quiz Bee were conducted in selected maritime schools in Luzon and Visayas. Emerging as the winners of the Pangasinan leg last January 25 were Nathalie Grave, Ranny Garcia, Zyvier Buting, Jeff Pierre Leoncio, Benedict Ocampo and Carla Perez from the Philippine College of Science and Technology in Calasiao, Pangasinan. On January 29, Mark Joseph Nana, Carl Cyrus Labios, Antolin Mañoso III, Shalem Mascariñas and Renz Earvin Mercado from the Baliwag Maritime Academy (BMA) were declared as the champs. Prior to the competition proper, officers and students of BMA honored ANGKLA Vice-Chairman Capt. Ronald Enrile for his efforts in championing the cause of Filipino seafarers. Preliminaries were also held in Iloilo from February 2 to 3 where St. Therese MTC-Magdalo cadets Charniel Refil, Francis Clarito, Cluvin James Hinolan, Joery Sencil Jr., Emmanuel Ventoza and Jan Peter Baes qualified for the regionals. Joining them are Angelo Casanare, Jondell Panaligan, Vincent Lagradante, Michael Barredo, Gil Pierre Cadornigara and Ivan Keith Baga-an of the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University - Arevalo and Molo Campuses. Screenings of the career advocacy film “Dimalupig” were also held in the participating schools. All winners of the preliminary qualifiers will compete in their respective regional rounds prior to the conduct of national rounds that are to be scheduled soon.