How to Train for a Seaman Job in the Philippines

Since the 1980’s, the Philippines was the go-to country for international shipping lines to recruit seamen—not only because they are hardworking, but as well as they are properly trained for the different tasks that are required on-board.

In the Philippines, one of the primary requirements to become a seaman is that you must have at least 1 year domestic seamanship experience and proper offshore training certifications. That would be something to show off your agencies. A four year marine education wouldn’t hurt either. For most Filipinos, getting the basic job in a ship—may it be mess-man or ordinary seaman—is the stepping stone in climbing the shipping industry ladder. But, before they are able to do that, they must have specific and required trainings.

Knot Tying Certification
This is one of the most important skills that every seaman must learn because this is an integral part of boating. Knot tying is used to secure a boat at shore, securing the anchor and cargo ships, tie off to other boats and for rescuing people. There are many kinds of knot ties and each one has its purpose on water; and in this course, trainees are taught that.

Just a funny story, when my brother was having this course certification, he would practice it at home on chairs and bars. He even had one of his former classmates (who is a seaman by that time) come over to teach him more advanced knots. And honestly, I never thought that knot tying could be so confusing.

Ship Mooring and Storage
Before an airplane takes off, passengers are requested to stay on their seats so that the plane can be weighed to make sure that everything is balanced. This is the same principle in shipping and as a seaman trainee, it is important that you should know how to handle this kind of responsibility, especially if you are sailing in tough waters. Trainees are also required to learn how a ship/cargo is stored, moored and secured—these are the skills that add to the viability of a watercraft.

It is important that one should learn these because an unbalanced and improperly taken cared off boat can cause it to capsize or deteriorate.

Navigation, Watchstanding and Helmsman Duties
These days, boats and ships use GPS and while it makes navigation easier, it is imperative that one should also learn how to use maps in case the system goes down. This skill is very important so that you can chart a course home or to the nearest port. A trainee should also learn basic watchstanding and helmsman duties so that he can be depended on for anchoring or spotting obstacles when they are out at sea.

Beside these trainings, one advantage that a Filipino seaman can have is to make sure that the courses and trainings that he takes are OPITO approved. OPITO is an international organization of seafarers and shipping companies. This will be very helpful for him in case he wants to pursue higher positions in the future.

If a Filipino seaman wants to climb the shipping industry ladder, he must be certified and take more advanced series of classes and written examinations,  as well as a practical water exam.