The pandemic can’t stop the growth of Globe Maritime Training Center (GMTC)!

Even the stars seem to favor GMTC with double “8” as symbols of eternity: last Sept. 8th is its 8th Year Anniversary. Yet, GMTC celebrated with Spartan simplicity with a Roman Catholic mass at GMTC-Manila office attended by staff and seafarers.

Observing government health protocols, Management shared before a limited audience that, “We want you to know that your trust and support has always been the biggest drivers for our continued growth.”

Prime mover and majority stockholder is Chief Engineer Gilbert Milana who organized fellow seafarers to partner in a venture to raise competence of merchant mariners while reducing costs of training. The formula worked magic and propelled GMTC to continuous growth.

Walking the talk.

Profit has never inspired C/E Milana; instead, he is deeply motivated in pursuing excellence for trainees at minimum costs. He knows the pitch and roll of blue water sailing. He wants, then, to give value to hard-earned pay, not covet what should be for their families and dreams.

Some competitors even badmouthed Milana for his very reasonable rates, egging him to cooperate sack seafarers with atrocious rates. Milana stood firm against the ploy, started using net proceeds to hire more competent staff and teachers, build better facilities and provide state-of-the-art equipment.

Training ship.

GMTC now owns FB Peninsula I, a fishing vessel converted as a training ship and officially listed at the Register of Philippine Ships last August 25, 2020.

Its fiberglass hull supports the MARINA campaign against wooden hulls. The Peninsula is 69 gross tonnage, 21.00 net tonnage, 17.40 meter length, 4.53 meter breadth, 2.06 meter depth and 536.91 Kw.

The Peninsula is key to GMTC’s Fish Capture Training Course, awaiting for TESDA official accreditation but for lack of Assessors of this technical-vocational public agency.

More for less.

GMTC continues to invest on renovation, improvement of facilities, acquisition of more equipment to serve better, even open more courses for seafarers.

Ground-breaking was recently done for installing a poop deck mooring station freefall lifeboat. M/V Survivor is a mock-up ship (made of rock) now being refurbished for full mission bridge simulator onboard, with real ship ramp being prepared to offer new courses soon.

Trainees use real equipment and appliance as teaching aid to gain applicable knowledge onboard ship. Among expensive equipment are open lifeboat for rowing, partially enclosed with gravity davits and enclosed gravity davits and freefall lifeboat.

Recognition.

Capt. Juan Maltez, Director-General, General Directorate of Seafarers of the Maritime Authority of Panama recognized GMTC for excellent and efficient service. Then for Panama, GMTC is duly accredited as a maritime training center authorized in Asia to provide programs and training courses, to issue Previous Documentary Evaluation certificated and perform Assessment of Competence as of September 3, 2020.

Two courses were approved: Elementary First Aid and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities to prepare students for certification and work onboard ships worldwide.

Transportation.

GMTC has arranged for vehicles to service students to and from the office and training sites. As a partner/stakeholder of the electric shuttle operation in Metro Manila, students may now avail by October of the convenience. COMET (Community Optimized Managed Electric Transport) terminals are nearby GMTC-Manila and GMTC-Valenzuela. This is the latest innovation on e-vehicle technology that produce zero emission from Spain.

Like beehive.

GMTC-Manila classes are very active, almost always full, more so that capacity is restricted by government protocols against COVID-19 infection and transmission.

The spillovers also occur at the practicum site at GMTC-Valenzuela; so does at GMTC in-house courses via zoom app.

For all these patronage, GMTC strictly follows health protocols in all sites. Protective items are always handy (masks, sanitizers, thermal scanners, etc. with proper signage to remind all of the need to be vigilant and cooperative.

All callers are required to fill-up the Health Symptoms Questionnaire (HSQ) form ready for contact tracing, when needed. GMTC is also linked with Valenzuela City’s Valtrace QR Code, a monitoring system for all enclosed establishments in the city.

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