TACLOBAN CITY — The bid to reconstitute the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), which is based this city, as an attached agency of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) received backing from maritime stakeholders, government agencies, and educators during a public consultation in Palo, Leyte on Tuesday, June 9.
The consultation, hosted by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) regional office, was attended by representatives from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), academic institutions, media organizations, and maritime professionals.
NMP Executive Director Victor Del Rosario said the move aims to strengthen NMP’s institutional capacity, improve operational efficiency, and enhance its ability to respond to the evolving needs of Filipino seafarers and the maritime industry.
He stressed that the support from their stakeholders is crucial in shaping the future of the country’s premier maritime training institution.
At present, NMP is subsumed under the DMW following the creation of the department through Republic Act No. 11641, or the Department of Migrant Workers Act of 2021.
Del Rosario explained that, unlike attached agencies, NMP currently does not have its own budget allocation.
“NMP has a national scope mandate and is pursuing a modernization and expansion program that will extend its services to Luzon and Mindanao,” Del Rosario said in an online interview.
“We need to strengthen our institutional capacity and operational efficiency, and this can only be achieved by becoming an attached agency,” he added.
Del Rosario cited OWWA as an example of an attached agency under the DMW that operates with greater administrative and financial flexibility.
The Visayas consultation is the first of four public consultations scheduled nationwide, with succeeding sessions set in Davao, Cavite, and the National Capital Region. Inputs gathered from the consultations will be used in refining the proposed executive order before its final submission.
Established through Presidential Decree No. 1360 in 1978, the NMP is the country’s premier government maritime training and research institution.
Based in Barangay Cabalawan, Tacloban City, it provides specialized training for Filipino seafarers and conducts research and policy studies aimed at strengthening the country’s maritime workforce and shipping industry.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
