The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association Inc. and Orient Register of Shipping Inc. (ORIENT Class) joined forces in enhancing the development of classification rules and raising the level of classification service in the domestic shipping industry.
“This partnership with PMMAAAI will bolster the capability building program of ORIENT Class through the participation of seasoned merchant marine officers who are veterans in their profession in international shipping,” said ORIENT Class president Manuel Tiuseco.
“The partnership between PMMA Alumni Association with ORIENT… will bolster the Classification Societies’ technical capabilities as the PMMAAAI is composed of experienced merchant mariners, ship captains, chief marine engineers, technical and marine superintendents as well as cargo surveyors and harbor masters,” said chief engineer Chito Majabague, president of PMMAAAI.
PMMA Alumni members, being graduates of the only state maritime academy in the country is also in a unique position of holding top management and executive posts and even ownership of ship management companies, local manning agencies and maritime training centers in the Philippines which will provide Orient Class a wide array of local and international linkages to maritime stakeholders.
PMMAAI is a non-profit organization that fosters, maintains and supports a mutually beneficial relationship between Alumni and the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy.
“This is another milestone for us in Orient Class, where accomplished merchant marine officers will be part of classification of ships in the domestic trade with the end in view of upgrading the standards of domestic shipping in order to comply with relevant international standards while adopting to the local conditions and complaisant to the needs of the ship owners.”, said Juan Miguel Gonzales, executive vice president of Orient Class.
The Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines also joined hands with Orient Class as a member of the board of trustees and to work together to build a special purpose ship that will provide shipboard training to maritime cadets.
"The strategic alliance between ISP, PMMAAI and Orient Class is a manifestation of our support to the Maritime Industry Development Plan of MARINA declaring that the achievement of a nationally integrated and globally competitive maritime industry is feasible if all key stakeholders from government, maritime industry players such as the classification societies, shipbuilders, the academe and ship owners will work together and share their expertise and resources to achieve a common goal," said Capt. Jess Morales, president of ISP.
Operating since 2000, Orient Class provides ship classification and technical advisory services to over 1000 ships in the domestic trade comprising tugs and barges cargo vessels, tankers and passenger vessels, and employs more than 20 maritime surveyors and technical experts. As the leading local classification society in the Philippines, ORIENT Class’ commitment to ship owners/clients goes beyond classification, affirming safety as their primary goal in providing these services.