TACLOBAN CITY — The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) is seeking a P505.5-million budget for 2027 to expand its facilities and training capacity, responding to a record number of Filipino seafarers trained in 2025.
NMP reported that 22,972 active and aspiring seafarers completed training last year, marking the highest number of successful trainees since the institution opened in 1978.
The milestone underscores the growing global demand for skilled Filipino seafarers and the need for accessible, high-quality maritime education.
To meet this demand, NMP’s proposed budget will fund major infrastructure projects, including a new training building with a roof deck, a three-storey maritime resource center, and improvements to the road network within its 17-hectare training complex. Modern training equipment acquisitions are also included in the plan.
Executive Director Victor Del Rosario presented the proposal during the first-quarter meeting of the Regional Development Council – Social Development Committee (RDC-SDC), highlighting the urgency to expand learning facilities in line with increasing trainee numbers.
The proposed expansion follows NMP’s 2026 budget of P427 million, its largest allocation to date under the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which funded upgrades such as the rehabilitation of officers’ dormitory, construction of a ratings’ dormitory, and development of a training pool.
Once endorsed by the RDC-SDC, the proposed 2027 budget will advance to the national level for further deliberation and is expected to be presented at the upcoming RDC Full Council Meeting.
Based in Cabalawan, Tacloban City, NMP continues to position itself as the country’s premier government maritime training and research center, strengthening the Philippines’ capacity to supply highly skilled seafarers to the global maritime industry.
(HALLEBERT FRANCIS S. HIPE, LNU STUDENT INTERN)
