PGMA's speech during the 1st Commencement Exercises of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP)

PGMA's speech during the 1st Commencement Exercises of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP)

MAAP Quadrangle, Kamaya Point, Brgy. Alas-Asin Mariveles, Bataan (19 July 2003)

Maraming salamat, Secretary Sto. Tomas. Nag-aalaga ng mga manggagawa ng pilipinas, nag-aalaga ng mga manggagawa ng buong mundo dahil siya ang pangulo ng International Labor Organization.

Fleet commander, give parade rest.

Nabanggit ko na si Secretary Pat Sto. Tomas ay ang pangulo ng International Labor Oorganization. Kasama nya sa trabaho si Capt. Gregorio Oca na kakagaling lamang sa Geneva para sa pagdiriwang nitong pagtatapos. Dahil kakagaling lang nya sa International Labor Oorganization kung saan yung kanilang wage board na kasapi si Captain Oca ay inayos yung ilang mga gusot tungkol sa mga sweldo ng ating mga seamen at mga manggagawa, hindi lamang ng pilipinas kung hindi ng buong mundo. Ganun ka international si Capt. Oca. Binabati ko siya at lahat ng kasapi ng governing board ng MAAP, kasama na rito yung aking paryente, paryente sang akong bana halin sa Negros Occidental, si Congressman kaku Lacson. Oo, nagugulat sila paryente. Alam ni kaku Lacson yan kasi ang aking asawa, si Mike Arroyo, ay ang kanyang lolo ay si General Aniceto Lacson, yung revolutionary leader ng Negros Occidental, na ganun doon din. Doon din nanggaling yung lahi ni Congressman Lacson.

Binabati ko rin si Vice Admiral Eduardo Santos, ang pangulo ng MAAP. Matagal ko na hong kilala si Vice Admiral Santos. Siya ho ang tumulong sa akin na nagbuo nuong aking na Presidential Security Group noong ako ay Vice President. Siya yung nag-recruit ng aking mga naval aides at naval security, kasama nga dito yung isa doon sa ni-recruit mo, Ed, si Chris Magdangal na aking aide pa hanggang ngayon. At nagustuhan ko yung mga ni-recommend ni admiral santos kaya ang aking senior military assistant ay isang galing sa navy rin, si Commodore Abesamis.

At noong si Vice Admiral Santos ay nag-retire dahil nga sa kanyang tulong sa pagbuo ng aking Presidential Security Group, ang bait-bait nya sa akin, binigyan ko siya ng farewell dinner. I gave a dinner in his honor. At sabi ko sa kanya: Vice Admiral, ano ngayon ang gagawin mo sa yung retirement. Sabi niya, reni-recruit ako dito, isang bagong eskuwelahan, isang bagong maritime academy, doon ilalagay sa bataan. akala ko noon, it was going to be just another maritime academy. Yon pala eto, isa sa limang pinakamagaling na maritime academy sa buong mundo.

Head of the navy, FOIC Vice Admiral Ernie de Leon; Governor Ding Roman. Nakita ko si Ding Roman doon sa telebisyon dahil nakuha niya doon sa Corporate Social Responsibilty week yung gantimpala sa kanyang pag-aalaga ng karagatan ng Bataan. Kaya congratulations governor ding roman; punong-bayan, alam mo, naawa ako sa mga Cadet ngayong umuulan pero sa pagkakaintindi ko bahagi ito ng inyong training kasi doon sa pagiging marino at navy sa inyo mababasa rin kayo pag kayo ang nandoon sa labanan; Mayor Angel Peliglorio ng Mariveles, ating mga nag-aalaga ng ating kapayapaan; ibat-ibang mga officials ng pamahalaan; ibat-ibang officials dito sa akademyang ito; ating graduating class ng 2003; Monsignor Daniel Santamaria; mga nagmamalaking mga magulang at kamag-anak; midshipmen and women of MAAP, congratulations on this first ever Commencement Exercises of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific.

Nandito tayo sa kamaya point na dating isang resort -- itsurang resort pa rin. yon ang bahagi ng kung bakit magaling na magaling at binibilang yon sa mga quality ng eskuwelahan yung kagandahan ng physical facilities. Kaya congratulations dito sa inyong resort academy.

This is a testament to the vision of Captain Gregorio Oca, who put together this institution with the help of the maritime associations. And I congratulate you for receiving your iso-9001 certification 30 months after your school was founded. Other institutions would take decades to hurdle a requirement of iso certification. At ang dahilan kung bakit sinasabi ko na itoy isa sa limang pinakamagaling na maritime academy sa buong mundo ay dahil sa buong mundo lima pa lamang ang maritime academy ang may ISO certification.

And thats why your first graduates face a bright future ahead as potential pillars of the nations maritime industry, or as midshipmen and women of international fleets, dahil ang nagtayo nga nito ay si Captain Oca kasama na ang maritime associations. Dahil ISO certified kayo ay sigurado ang inyong mga trabaho. You have jobs waiting for you whether here and certainly abroad that will enable you to earn premium pay. This institution also provides reserve officers for our navy.

And we hope that five years after your contract with institutions that sponsored your scholarship, some of you will consider in entering the navy as officers of our republic of the Philippines. I ask you to stand by your motto: Virtus, fides, Disiplina. Lalo na doon sa mga may balak balang araw papasok sa navy. Dahil doon sa navy ay sinisikap natin, alam ni admiral de leon ito, na magkaroon ng mga malalalim na reporma.

Sinusuportahan ko ang kahit na anong lehitimong daing ng mga batang opisyal sa armed forces at nananawagan ako sa kanila na resolbahan ang mga ito sa pamamagitan ng Chain of Command. Inatasan ko na ang Chief of Staff ng Armed Forces at sinabi ko na rin ito kay Admiral De Leon na magsagawa ng mekanismo tungkol sa mga daing sa mga bagay na ito na gusto kong ipaalam sa akin. Dapat palakasin natin ang kultura ng disiplinadong transparency sa Armed Forces at sa Navy. Ito ang pinakamabisang paraan kung papano natin mapagtanggol ang uniporme mula sa pulitika, iwasan ang factionalism, at ipairal ang propesyonalismo.

Para mapairal ang propesyonalismo, we must also ensure that the integrity of our midshipmen and sailors is upheld both by the schools -- sigurado ako rito, gawa yon dahil iso certified, pero hindi lamang ito yung ibang mga eskuwela rin ng Pilipinas -- the schools and the licensing agencies. You know early this year, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority imposed a ban on the hiring of Filipino seafarers because of leakage of the 2003 Marine Deck Officers Exam. But thanks to the quick response of the Professional Regulatory Commission, last July 3rd, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority lifted that ban just this month. With the assurance given by the PRC of the integrity of the Professional Marine License.

The PRC in its reform voided the 2001 Professional Licensure Exams for marine deck officers. Most examinees have retaken the exams and appropriate charges have been filed against the errant examiners. I'm directing NBI to ensure that it has an airtight case against the examiners. I'm also directing the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission to speed up its investigation and include in its recommendations measures that ensure the security of future professional examinations.

I'm equally concerned over the accidents that have occurred in our seas. The M/V San Nicolas tragedy was the latest of the accidents, which I hope will be the last of the accidents, but which could be repeated if we do not collectively take decisive action.

I gave a series of orders to the coast guard and the DOTC -- nandito si Administrator Sevilla, alam nya yon -- regarding various safety measures, including the review of the coast guards enforcement of maritime safety standards and other functions.

I also want to see a clear delineation of navigation lanes, and random drug and alcohol testing on shipping crews and officers. The coast guard and the marina have submitted recommendations to improve rescue efficiency as well as routing systems in critical sea passages, particularly at the north and south channels of Corregidor island passages, the Cebu-Mactan channel, the Malapascua island in Cebu, and at the Verde Island passage.

I would like shipping companies, the ones who put up this school, maritime training institutions, like these institutions, and others involved in our maritime industry, to note the updated advisories of the coast guard.

I urge your institution, and other training institutions, to take part in the task force for maritime safety, particularly in the recommendations that would need legislative action. Nandiyan naman si kaku Lacson eh para sa legislative action.

Kayong mga nagtatapos, alin mang karera ang piliin ninyo, you will have a chance to reinforce the reputation of the great Filipino worker.

Our dole, si Pat Sto. Tomas, ay sinusuportahan kayo. Our DOLE has requested the U.S. consular officials to open more special windows to accommodate visa applications for seafarers. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration will also meet this week with U.S. consular officials to discuss the matter of enhancing the security features of seafarers registration certificates, so that this may serve as an alternative to the present transit visa requirements. Dito makakatulong, mas madali ang inyong trabaho dahil mas konti ang red tape tuloy. After all, Filipino seafarers constitute one-fifth of the total global shipping force and our marine officers are considered among the most competent and efficient officers anywhere. Ano pa yan at ngayon ay meron na tayong graduates ng maritime academy of Asia and the pacific.

The almost 205,000 Filipino seafarers on board various ocean-going vessels last year contributed almost 300 million dollars every quarter or over... About 1.4 billion dollars for 2002 of the estimated 8 billion dollars remitted by OFWs.

Over a 112,000 seamen were deployed in the first half of this year, indicating that the demand for Filipino seafaring and English language skills continues to climb. In establishing the new maritime tradition here of an army or rather a navy of academically superior graduates, Kingspoint ba naman, di parang kayo na ang Annapolis ng Pilipinas. Indeed, we have much to hope for in this first graduating batch and the following batches in the years to come.

And so, by tradition in other academies before this, and by the virtue of the power vested in me as president of the republic of the Philippines and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the Navy of the Philippines, I hereby pardon all outstanding punishments in the midshipmen fleet of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific effective this date.

Graduates, pioneers of Class 2003, sail on to greater glory in the seas of the world.

Congratulations, once again! Good luck!

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

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