10/2016 Volume 12 Issue 9 Official eBulletin of the PTC Group First Ever National Maritime Quiz Bee Champs Named After a year-long nationwide search, maritime party ANGKLA and co-presenter Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc. (PTC) crowned the country’s best and brightest cadets at the National Finals of the Anchor for Excellence National Maritime Quiz Bee held last September 30 at the Malayan Colleges of Laguna (MCL) in Cabuyao. Emerging as the first ever Anchor for Excellence champion was John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation (Bacolod) who won a special endorsement for Shipboard Training. Sharing 1st Runner Up honors were John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (Molo) and St. Therese - MTC College (Magdalo Site). Baliwag Maritime Academy was named 2nd Runner Up. A total of 14 maritime schools from all over the country faced off at the finals of the first ever nationwide quiz bee of its kind in the Philippines. The participating teams initially had to pass grueling preliminary and regional rounds held across the country from October 2015 through February of this year, before qualifying to represent their schools and respective provinces at the national finals held in conjunction with National Maritime Week 2016. The national finals was also supported by other maritime organizations, training institutions and allied service companies. “ANGKLA has always believed in strengthening the professionalism and competency of our people in the seafaring industry. And, in order to achieve this, we start with a good foundation through quality education and training of our students,” said Cong. Jesulito A. Manalo of ANGKLA during his opening remarks to the students. “This event is yet another way of highlighting the value we give to education. It is both a test and a celebration of all our students’ wit, talents, and abilities. It is also a coming together of the best and the brightest youth of the Philippine maritime industry who will someday soon get on board domestic and international fleets in the different parts of the globe, and make this country ever proud.”. Other finalists included Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (Pasay City), Our Lady of Fatima University (Valenzuela City), Mariners Polytechnic Colleges Foundation – Baras (Camarines Sur), University of Northeastern Philippines Camarines Sur (Iriga City), Bicol Merchant Marine College Inc. (Sorsogon), Mapúa-PTC College of Maritime Education and Training (CMET)-Malayan Colleges Laguna, Midway Maritime Foundation (Nueva Ecija), Philippine College of Science and Technology (Pangasinan), Northwestern University (Laoag City) and Salazar University (Cebu). In his congratulatory remarks to the winners, Capt. Ronald Enrile, PTC Senior Executive Director for Government Affairs in Maritime and Sectoral Representation, commended all the participating students not only for their display of academic proficiency but more importantly, for exercising critical thinking and conviction in analyzing the questions and defending their answers. He advised the students to apply these qualities onboard and to consistently hone their skills and knowledge through continuous learning and training. On the eve of the quiz bee, the students enjoyed a welcome dinner specially prepared for them at Gerry’s Grill Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on September 29. They also had the opportunity to get to know their fellow maritime students during MCL’s Mapua-PTC CMET Night where they were treated to exciting performances by talented CMET students and special guest band Silent Sanctuary. The following day, the students participated in the beta testing of the Full Alert gaming app at the Technopark Hotel in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. PTC Gets Ready to Respond with Project Noah As part of the company’s disaster resiliency program, PTC launched Project Noah at a disaster preparedness workshop conducted last September 24 at the Legaspi Room of First Maritime Place. Project NOAH or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards is the country’s primary disaster risk reduction and management program under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) which puts into place a more accurate, integrated and responsive disaster prevention and mitigation system, especially in high-risk areas across the Philippines. PTC hopes to be one of the prime movers of the project by harnessing the skills and capabilities of its very own global maritime professionals (GMP) and their families, as well as PTC employees, for them to respond accurately, reliably and expediently in emergencies and, more importantly, be instrumental in preventing and mitigating disasters and hazards. Speaking at the workshop were Ms. Analiza Solis, PAGASA Weather Specialist; Dr. Cedric Daep, Public Safety and Emergency Management Officer of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO); and Mr. Abundio Nunez, Operations Officer of APSEMO; who gave a brief overview of the various hazards in the country along with the corresponding countermeasures for hydro meteorological, geological and seismological risks. In the afternoon, discussions focused on the country’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) policy and its upcoming projects and activities. Mr. Leslie Suntay of the PTC Business Development Group facilitated the workshop attended by representatives from Building Administration, Security, Business Process Control and Compliance, Recruitment and Training, Family Crew Relations, and Marketing Communications, as well as, PTC GMPs and allottees from Northern Marine Management and Seaspan. PTC Celebrates National Maritime Week PTC joined the Philippine maritime industry as it observed National Maritime Week (NMW) 2016 last September 25 through September 30. This year’s nationwide celebration was hinged on the theme “Shipping: Indispensable to the World,” coined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and was headed by the Philippine Ports Authority. The National Maritime Week is commemorated by virtue of Proclamation No. 1094, consolidating the celebration of the National Seafarers Day (NSD), National Maritime Day (NMD) and the National Maritime Week (NMW), making the occasion more significant and meaningful. As part of the festivities, PTC’s Family Crew Relations (FCR) prepared a host of special treats for the company’s very own global maritime professionals and their families including a special NMW photo booth. A social media campaign was organized in support of the activity where employees and GMPs uploaded their photo booth pictures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #PTCCelebratesNationalMaritimeWeek. Special gift items, including a brand new action camera, were raffled off courtesy of Eastwest Healthcare, SMART World MARINO and FCR. Philippine Maritime Stakeholders Craft Roadmap for Blue Philippines Key stakeholders of the Philippine maritime industry convened to discuss the formulation of a roadmap as an input to the new administration’s socio-economic agenda. The gathering was held last September 26 at the Makati Diamond Residences. Representatives from key associations and organizations of the Philippine maritime industry including the Philippine Inter-Island Shipping Association (PISA), Filipino Shipowners Association (FSA), Joint Manning Group (JMG), Filipino Association for Mariner’s Employment (FAME), Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SONAME), Philippine Association of Maritime Institutions (PAMI), Philippine Association of Maritime Training Center Inc. (PAMTCI), Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, Keppel Batangas Shipyard and Philippine Iron Construction and Marine Works attended the landmark meeting. The discussion centered on the framework to be developed by the industry to address President Rodrigo Duterte’s agenda for Blue Philippines which covers the use of the sea and its resources for sustainable development, as well as, economic activity in the maritime sector. The PTC Group Organization on the Move The PTC Group is pleased to announce the following strategic appointments of key executives, effective September 1, 2016, as part of the organization’s continuing efforts to expand its presence across the different markets and publics that it serves. Mr. Edgar Milla - Chief Operating Officer of PTC; Capt. Ronald Enrile - Senior Executive Director for Government Affairs in Maritime and Sectoral Representation; Capt. Stan Santiago - Vice President for Crewing Operations; and Capt. Pol Haboc - Assistant Vice President - Cargo Division. Mr. Jaime de Sequera - Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at PTC Holdings; and Mr. Rick Hawkins as Chief Technology Officer. These movements are in line with the PTC Group’s three-year Organizational Transformation and Development (OTD) Program, expected to further drive a broad range of organizational initiatives as the Group continues to “move the world in more ways than one” with “all hands on deck.”