UFS launches 'Balik-Aral Program'
THE streets in front of the various maritime agencies
related to the regulation and supersivision of the maritime affairs of
the country may have been where the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) earned
its spurs, but it is not only in this familiar areas that the motley group
of seafarers under Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez gather to strengthen their organization.
They have now commenced a regular Sunday class dubbed as "Balik-Aral Program"
where deck and engine courses are taken up.
Program director, Capt. Edwin Itable, said that through
the Balik-Aral Program, UFS will also strengthen the skills and capability
side of the union. "Besides, these courses are offered to members
for free," he added.
According to Capt. Itable, a master mariner who conquered
seas in all conditions in his colorful life as a seafarer, the program
adopts an interactive approach to learning. "Participants to the program
will be given the opportunity to voice out and state in what particular
subject or area they have difficulty. Then, we collate these difficulties
into subject areas as a basis for the Balik-Aral syllabus," he explained.
Instead of the rigid and extremely formal condition of
the classroom where the cadets earned their maritime certificates, the
en-vironment in Balik-Aral will be very con-ducive and will allow interaction
between the instructors and the participants. More-over, a five-minute
drill precedes the dis-cussion-type program.
"Conditioning the body enhances the ability of the brain
to absorb," Capt. Itable explains of the pre-discussion ritual.
As of this writing, the program is already on its fourth
Sunday. A wide range of topics have already been discussed as requested
by the participants. From trigonometry to visual signalling, the more than
50 regular participants are beginning to have a better understanding of
the "difficult subjects" that was their waterloo in their respective schools.
Moreover, they are beginning to plan better for their careers now that
they can grasp difficult subjects the way Capt. Itable is conducting the
program.
The veteran master and former chief executive of a big
manning company in the Philippines disclosed that there are plans to tap
the services of experts and other capable individuals in the maritime industry,
including available state-of-the-art equipment for the Balik-Aral Program.
"We will go through the process of building up this program
so that seafarers will be given a chance to increase their knowledge and
skill in their profession free," he said, adding that Balik-Aral Program
will soon be offered to the different shipping companies and manning agents
who have difficulties finding ships for their pool of cadets and seafarers.
"In this particular aspect of Balik-Aral Program, we will
take into consideration specific demands for skills, positions, competencies,
and other specialization so that the acceptance rate for Filipino seafarers
will be further boosted and their gainhold in the world shipping market
strengthened," Capt. Itable said. -- CB Orrosco |
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Contribute your ideas online!
Express your opinion!
You can now
any discussion on seafarer's issues anytime or anywhere you are with
Usapang Marino
(Seafarer's Forum)
at URL: http://www.ufs.ph/discus
Want to play
basketball while in Rotterdam?
Filipino Seafarers who want
to play basketball on Sundays in Rotterdam, please contact Doming Malaloan
at Tel. No.: 010-463635 or International Seamen's Centre, Heijplaat, Rotterdam,
Tel. No.: 4290702 |
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