NMP backs Marina's proposed 4-1 MarEd scheme

NMP backs Marina's proposed 4-1 MarEd scheme
Yashika F. Torib December 1, 2021 https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/12/01/business/maritime/nmp-backs-marin...

The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) aired its support to the recent initiative of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to standardize the curriculum for maritime degree programs and adopt the 4-1 scheme.

Under the proposed enhanced curriculum, students of the Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE) shall complete the four-year program, graduate, and undergo their one-year apprenticeship on board a vessel.

A Certificate of Competency (CoC) shall be issued by Marina upon completion of the 4-1 scheme.

Once implemented, the new curriculum will replace the 2-1-1 scheme that is currently required by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Under the current program, maritime students are required to complete the first two years of their course, the third year is for actual apprenticeship on board a vessel, and the last year will be spent back on the school to complete their BS degree.

"NMP believes that [this] is an effective strategy to improve the maritime education curriculum and will aid to fully equip our aspiring seafarers," says Joel Maglunsod, executive director III of NMP.

Maglunsod added that putting off onboard training after graduation will provide maritime cadets with sufficient knowledge and skills before their exposure to actual seafaring duties.

Based on a study conducted by NMP in 2019, it was revealed that there is an inadequate number of domestic ships qualified for the onboard training of cadets.

In another report published by The Manila Times in the same year, local shipping executives cited the lack of partnerships between maritime schools and shipping companies that leave cadets fending for a shipboard training on their own, without which, they could not complete their BS degree and graduate.

Maglunsod furthered that such challenges in onboard training will have a domino effect on the Philippines' reputation as the number one supplier of seafarers in the world.

"The lack of training berths available for cadets will eventually lead to the low turnout of maritime graduates and redound to lesser number of merchant marine officers. Considering that this is a global concern, the lack of training berths for both domestic and international fleets should be addressed by the maritime industry as a whole," he concluded.