PPA, NSTC renew Palompon port lease contract to help Filipino seafarers
TO GUARANTEE that Filipinos remain as the dominant nationality onboard internationalgoing vessels, the Philippine Ports Authority ( PPA) renews its contract with a Netherland- based training center operating inside its Palompon port in Leyte.
The new lease agreement involving a 400-square meter area at the said port, houses the training facility of the Netherlands Shipping Training Centre ( NSTC) that specializes in admiralty and maritime-related training mainly for students of the Palompon Institute of Technology.
PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago and his NSTC counterpart Martinus Gerrit Voorham signed the new agreement in simple ceremonies held at the PPA Corporate Office on Thursday.
“This agreement only shows the commitment of the PPA and the Government to help one of the pillars of the country, the seafarers,” Mr. Santiago stressed.
“The transfer of technical know-how from Netherlands to the Philippines will greatly boost the competitiveness of Filipinos not only onboard Netherland-based vessels but also those onboard other vessels plying international waters,” Mr. Santiago explained.
The new agreement, meanwhile, will be the third renewal for both parties. The first pact was signed in 2005 and the ensuing renewal as done in 2013. Just like the first 2 contracts, this 2018 agreement will run for five years with both parties executing a Deed of Conveyance whereby NSTC transferred, ceded, and conveyed all its rights, claims and benefits over all the structures within the assigned operational area.
Similarly, taking into consideration of NSTC’s service to the local community and to the seafaring industry, the use by the NSTC of the Allocated Area, including all improvements thereon and the designated mooring, berthing, and anchorage area, shall be free of charge.
Netherlands, meanwhile, is one of the major employers of Filipino seafarers. However, the European Maritime Safety Agency warned that Filipino seafarers could be banned from EU-flagged ships if the Philippines doesn’t improve the quality of maritime education in the country and implement the requirements of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
“The existence of the appropriate training facility inside the port is indispensable for effective training delivery for trainees of Palompon Institute of Technology and other trainees on board vessels of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners, including PPA employees,” Mr. Santiago added.