In consonance with the ancient Chinese concept of yin yang, we present a brief roster of maritime entities we believe are worthy of admiration. This is by no means a complete list of those we personally consider to have excelled in their respective fields and set an example for others to follow. But it should provide a balance to our previous blog in which we enumerated the seven ills of Philippine manning and training – the good and the bad, as always, complementing each other.

1. Best port terminal operator – The honour is shared by International Container Terminal Services Inc and Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc, whose respective terminals in the Port of Manila are still unrivalled in the country in terms of port efficiency, market competitiveness and customer service. Not even Asian Terminals Inc (ATI), operator of the Manila South Harbor, can match the standards achieved by ICTSI and HCPTI.

2. Best crew management company – This is a toss-up between CF Sharp Crew Management, Aboitiz Jebsen (Abojeb) and Philippine Transmarine Carriers (PTC). Although there are other fine crewing outfits in Manila, the three have upped the standards for corporate governance and crew administration with PTC making significant strides in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), one area that has not received the attention it deserves from manning industry players.

3. Best seafarers’ union – No local maritime union has done more than the ITF-affiliated Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) in securing better pay for Filipino seafarers whilst preserving their competititveness in the global manning market or in carrying out service or welfare projects for union members.

4. Best maritime school – John B Lacson Foundation Maritime University, the country’s only maritime university, is the one to beat in terms of faculty credentials, adaptation to technology and dedication to research. The school, for one, is currently developing a bio-marine research centre on Guimaras Island off Iloilo province and has established an honest-to-goodness data centre employing mainframe computers.

5. Best crew training centre – Arguably, the Philippines has five or six training institutions that are strictly on par with international standards – and Wartsila Land & Sea Academy in Subic stands out in terms of training hardware, quality of instructors, course development and management capability.

6. Best simulator supplier/distributor – We go for  SUMACS of Capt Roberto Uy because of the product (Transas is world leader in marine simulation technology) and the seller (Capt Uy belongs to the first generation of Filipino tanker masters and enjoys the full confidence and support of his principals).

7. Best maritime lecturer – Capt Michael Cuanzon is a lecturer at the state-run Development Academy of the Philippines. He has the breadth and depth of shipping experience few Filipino ship masters can lay claim to; he continues to study and do research at age 80; and he knows whereof he speaks when he speaks before fellow merchant marine professionals.

~Barista Uno