PH-Japan cooperation in maritime training cited on KGO’s maiden voyage

Maritime leaders from the Philippines and Japan have lauded the two nations’ cooperation on maritime and seafaring undertaking, particularly in the field of maritime education and training (MET) that benefit of Filipino midshipmen or senior cadets who are assured of employment in Japan’s merchant marine fleet.

Dr. Conrado F.Oca, president and chairman of the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) said during the maiden voyage of KGO on Philippine national waters last April 14,, said the latest testament of the working and productive maritime and seafaring cooperation between the two countries was the recent delivery of the brand-new Japan-built training ship MV “Kapitan Gregorio Oca” or “KGO” to the Maritime Academy of Asia and Pacific (MAAP). The delivery was made last December to boost shipboard training of MAAP cadets. MAAP is the education and training arm of AMOSUP, with retired Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command and AFP vice chief of staff VAdm Eduardo Ma. R. Santos as president, and Dr. Oca as the academy’s chairman of governing board. The 1,750 gross-ton, 78.69-meter state-of-the-art training vessel was delivered right from the home of its builder-the skilful, excellence-recognized, nearing century-age old MIHO Shipyard in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City, via Tokyo. It has a maximum capacity of 138 people.

“The output of the shipboard training, is the knowledge acquired or gained by midshipmen and midshipwomen which will be their tool in their professional career, consequently a door to assurance to be employed on Japan’s 3,000 merchant ships, which currently around 40,000 Filipino seafarers are working aboard, a figure showing over 70 percent of Japan’s maritime personnel,” according to Oca.

Last April 14, the KGO on her maiden voyage from homeport Mariveles, Bataan, sailed off for Puerto Princesa, Iloilo and then Masbate. Thereafter, it will head for other coastal provinces as scheduled, according to Capt Gerlo L. Elchico, MAAP administrator, the lead man in the coordinating team. “The MV KGO had 96 cadets, six training officers and more than 30 crew members including the commanding officer, when it departed Mariveles,” he said, emphasizing the cadets and training officers boarded the KGO last April 8 when voyage orientation was conducted right aboard the ship then anchored in Mariveles Bay.

Capt. Koichi Akamine, the chairman of International Mariners’ Management Association of Japan (IMMAJ) who earlier announced that the maiden voyage of KGO in Philippine waters was scheduled last month, said the KGO was built as a “joint project” of maritime unions and employers in the Philippines and Japan namely AMOSUP, IMMAJ, the All-Japan Seamen’s Union (JSU) and the PhilippineJapan Manning Consultative Council (PJMCC). “This is the first of its kind in the world,” he said expressing pride of the ship, describing it as the “ultimate display of the long term commitment, cooperation and partnership of the shipping industry in the Philippines and Japan.”