Admiral Tomas Cloma also then established a maritime school, giving him the title “Father of Maritime Education in the Philippines.” From then on, it opened the gates of better seafaring opportunities in the country. Over a significant period in the Philippine history, maritime schools had undergone improvement, making Filipino seafarers in demand all over the world.
Aside from the needed requirements and set of trainings aspiring Filipino seafarers undergo, they also possess several traits that keep them apart from others.
Seafarer’s responsibilities are no piece of a cake. It requires great will and stamina. It is indeed a requirement that the seafarer has a healthy mind and body, but he should also be powered with dedication and discipline. This is one of the characteristics Filipino seafarers possess which also make them stand out from the others. Filipino seafarers are also conscious with their conduct at work.
In addition, life at sea is different from the much easier way of living on land. Commodities and resources are limited, that is why it is very important for the seafarers to be flexible enough to perform tasks included or not in their job description. Filipino seafarers’ flexibility could also be seen on how they treat others, especially those who are from a different nation. They were also known for being patient with every task given to them.
And Philippines being an archipelago, bodies of water play an important role in the lives of the Filipinos. With this, Filipino seafarers were able to easily adapt with their lives on board, especially, those who live near bodies of water have already a natural sense of being a mariner. But aside from the natural characteristics of Filipinos being hardworking and respectful, Filipino seafarers have a good command over English language. Being fluent in English, Filipino seafarers have a great advantage. With this, Filipino seafarers could easily communicate with other people—including their superiors and fellow seafarers on board.
Generally, it isn’t only the maritime training which is important but each simple characteristic Filipino seafarer take with him as he go on board. Though maritime schools can’t fully impart each characteristics in the lives of each Filipino aspiring to be an able seaman, the trainings they conduct help each trainee to develop their well-being as individuals and as well as the advance technical knowledge they needed on board. It all started simply with a man who learnt how to make his dream come true and impart something essential to mankind. Moreover, with the continuous improvement – despite of the problems encountered by maritime schools in the Philippines – our country was able to give birth to globally-competitive mariners.
