Good ole Far East maritime training

Three Saturdays ago, we paid our first visit to Far East Maritime Foundation Inc‘s (FEMFI) training complex in Naic, Cavite, just south of Manila. No less than Captain Constancio Salasab, the top honcho of FEMFI, gave us a royal tour of the facility. With us was his friend and adviser of long standing, Captain Michael Cuanzon. It was mercilessly hot and humid but we didn’t mind. It’s not every day that maritime bloggers have the company of two dyed-in-the-wool captains who know that the term “seafarer” doesn’t mean quite the same as “seaman”.

Swarthy and weather-beaten, the soft-spoken Captain Salasab is the classic picture of an old sea dog. He founded FEMFI in 1992 and parlayed the small enterprise into what was considered as the country’s largest maritime training institution. It probably still is. Manila-based FEMFI currently boasts a total of 86 course offerings (from safety and catering to simulator and management level training) and three provincial training facilities (Cavite, Pangasinan and Cebu provinces). It has known hardships but it has endured and even prospered – just like the man who started it all. ~Barista Uno

A few pictures from our brief tour of the Cavite complex: