Paying forward with loyalty
LOYALTY is gold in an industry that has seen a good share of its workforce jumping from one company to another, often in search of better opportunities and remuneration.
In the Philippine manning sector, it has become a norm amongst seafarers to hunt for the best manning company that could offer good working conditions, opportunities for shipboard promotion, appropriate welfare programs for their families and competitive salaries. These are some of the circumstances that gave a different meaning to “Kalaw,” that stretch of road in Manila where various manning agencies, training centers and assessments centers pose their best offers. For generations of seafarers, Kalaw means “opportunity.”
Amid such habits is a man whose loyalty is as rare as a diamond.
Remigio “Caloy” Zamora started his seafaring career, got promoted to ship captain and climbed the corporate ladder until he became president of the same company that hired him as a cadet.
“No one in my family worked at sea before. What urged me to become a seafarer is poverty; I wanted to change the course of life of my family,” Zamora said.
What he came into, however, was unexpected — an industry slumped in a crisis caused by the recession.
“There was an ongoing global shipping crisis by the time I graduated from the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) in 1985. That’s why when I passed the interview with the Norwegian shipping company Odfjell, I felt so relieved and happy.
“It was a mixed feeling though. I was comforted by the fact that I had a job despite the crisis, and that I would even be sailing with one of the biggest chemical tanker companies. But that was where my nerves started; I did not have any experience or knowledge about chemical tankers at the time,” he recalled.
Despite his qualms and uncertainties, young Caloy trudged on like a good soldier. He stayed on and learned his way around tanker ships even at the height of the IranIraq war.
“It was unforgettable. Hearing ‘Mayday! Mayday!’ from all other vessels near us at the Persian Gulf. We were passing the Strait of Hormuz from Fujairah and nearby ships were being hit by missiles. We had to navigate only at night to avoid being detected,” Zamora said.
The young seafarer continued for almost two decades, mastering tanker ships and the high seas whilst standing his ground as an Odjfell crew.
“For me, every work and every day on board is the best, as every day is a learning day. There are always new challenges on deck during cargo operation and at the bridge during navigation. The most challenging for cargo operation is when calling Rotterdam or Houston ports where there are too many activities such as loading, discharging, ballasting/deballasting, shifting, provision, and inspection. It is also a challenge to navigate when there’s a lot of traffic and it looks like there is no space to pass,” he said.
After 19 years, Zamora was offered by the company to manage its crewing department, a task close to his heart as he can easily empathize with fellow seafarers.
“By then, I already knew all of the crew in our company and from my experience as a captain, I can easily understand their needs and feelings,” he shared.
Zamora served his post with the good humor and diligence of a true old salt, disclosing that he tends to be a workaholic.
The Odfjell president, even as he reached the peak of his career, sees himself as another ordinary man who enjoys time spent at home with his family or farming. His words and disposition are charged with the humility and perception of a mariner who believes in the power of unity and team instead of titles.
“A captain cannot be a captain without his crew, and a president cannot be a president without his staff. Title or position can change but not your character,” he said.