Filipino seafarers are known for their technical skills, diligence, and dedication to their jobs. As sea-based overseas Filipino workers, they are also part of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which promotes and protects the welfare of all OFWs and their families.
OWWA offers the Seafarers’ Upgrading Program or SUP. This is a short-term training program that seeks to enhance seafarers’ skills, making sure that they meet the competency standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The OWWA official website features the program’s benefits, eligibility requirements, guidelines, and other information.
Program Benefits
Since 2004, OWWA has been implementing the Seafarer’s Upgrading Program (SUP), providing seafarers with financial assistance up to PHP 7,500 per upgrading course. This amount may also cover up to two courses, provided that the total fees do not exceed the said amount.
Program courses are held in accredited maritime training centers or institutions. After availing of the program for the first time, the seafarer may avail again once every three (3) OWWA membership contributions.
Eligibility
Active OWWA member-seafarers are eligible to join the SUP program.
Requirements
To apply for the program, seafarers need to prepare the following:
- Seaman’s Identification Record Book (photocopy of data page);
- Passport (photocopy of data page);
- OWWA Membership Record; and
- 2×2 Colored ID Photos.
NOTE: Copies of OWWA membership records may be requested from the nearest OWWA Regional Office. For those who are availing of the program for the second time, their three (3) latest OWWA membership records must be submitted.
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How to Sign Up
Here is an overview of the steps in applying for the SUP program:
- Go to the nearest OWWA Regional Office.
- Present your passport or valid ID at the Education and Training Unit/Focal for the verification of membership records.
- Submit all the necessary documents.
- Wait for a message from OWWA with regards to the approval of your application, as well as your schedule for claiming the Notice of Award (NOA).
- On the given schedule, go back to the OWWA Regional Office and claim the Notice of Award.
List of Courses Under SUP
The SUP programs covers a wide range of courses for seafarers, including the following:
Deck Courses
- Able Seafarer Deck
- Cargo Handling and Care of Cargo
- Deck Watchkeeping
- Electronic Chart Display Information System
- General Operator’s Course
- Radar Simulator Course
- Radar Navigation, Radar Plotting, and Use of ARPA
- Radio Electronics and Officer’s Course
- Ship Simulator and Bridge Teamwork (SSBT)
- Trim and Stability
Engine Courses
- Auxiliary System
- Able Seafarer Engine
- Control Engineering
- Electro-Technical Officer
- Electrotechnology
- Engine Room Simulator Course
- Engine Watchkeeping
- Marine Diesel Engineering
- Marine Ref and Aircon
- Marine Steam Turbine
Specialized and Safety Courses
- Advanced Training in Firefighting
- Crisis Management
- Crowd Management
- Dangerous, Hazardous, and Harmful Cargoes
- Marine Pollution Annexes I to VI
- Medical Care
- Medical First Aide
- Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boat (PFRB) Course
- Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boat
- Shipboard Welding Course
Culinary, Galley, and Steward Department
- Advanced Messman Course
- Bread and Pastry Techniques
- Catering Management
- Comprehensive Bartending
- Fine Dining
- Galley Provision and Management
- International Cooking
- Proper Nutrition for Ship’s Crew
Refresher Courses
- Refresher Course on Advanced Fire Fighting
- Refresher Course on Advanced Training for Chemical Tanker Cargo Operations
- Refresher Course on Advanced Training for Oil Tanker Cargo Operations
- Refresher Course on Basic Training
- Refresher Course on Fast Rescue Boats
- Refresher Course on Survival Crafts and Rescue Boats
List of Accredited Training Centers
SUP courses are held in accredited Maritime Training Institutions (MTIs). Here is a list of accredited institutions, based on the official website of the Maritime Industry Authority or MARINA:
- Altitude Maritime Training and Assessment Center, Inc.
- AMLO Bros. Training and Education Corp.
- Competent Maritime Professionals and Sea Staff (COMPASS) Training
- Cebu Reliable and Excellent Seafarers Training Center Inc.
- DMMA College of Southern Philippines (DCSP), Inc.
- Excellence and Competency Training Center, Inc. (EXACT)
- Far East Maritime Academy and Technological Corp.
- Far East Maritime Foundation, Inc.
- Global Maritime Training Center – Manila, Inc.
- Global Training Systems – Philippines, Inc.
- Great Seas Mariners Training and Assessment Center, Inc.
- Holy Cross of Davao College, Inc.
- John B. Lacson Foundation, Inc.
- LPU Maritime Training Center – Batangas
- Magsaysay Learning Resources, Inc.
- Masters School of Maritime Studies Inc.
- National Maritime Polytechnic
- Nautical Options Training Institute of the Philippines (NOTIP), Inc.
- New Simulator Center of the Philippines, Inc.
- NYK-FIL Maritime E-Training Inc.
- Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy
- Philippine Center for Advanced Maritime Simulation and Training, Inc. (PHILCAMSAT)
- Philsouth Maritime Training Center
- PNTC Colleges, Inc.
- Rizwoods Colleges Inc.
- Saint Joseph Institute of Technology, Inc.
- Seatech Maritime Training and Assessment Center, Inc.
- Southern Institute of Maritime Studies (SIMS) – Manila
- VMA Global College and Training Centers, Inc.
- Zamboanga Maritime Training Center, Inc.
- ZRC Training and Assessment Center Phils. Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Meanwhile, here are some frequently asked questions about the SUP program:
What is the SUP program?
OWWA’s Seafarers’ Upgrading Program (SUP) is a short-term training program that aims to enhance Filipino seafarers’ skills and ensure that they meet global competency standards.
What are the benefits?
The program offers financial assistance worth up to PHP 7,500 per upgrading course for each beneficiary. This amount may cover up to two courses, as long as the total fees do not exceed PHP 7,500.
What are the training courses covered?
The SUP program covers Deck Courses, Engine Courses, Specialized and Safety Courses, Refresher Courses, and many more.
Who are eligible to join the program?
Seafarers who are active members of OWWA are eligible to join the program.
What are the requirements?
Interested applicants must prepare their Seaman’s Identification Record Book, passport, OWWA membership record, and 2×2 colored ID photos.
How to sign up?
Interested applicants first need to go to the nearest OWWA Regional Office and get their membership records verified. Then, they can submit all the necessary documents, before waiting for approval and a message from OWWA regarding the claiming of their Notice of Award (NOA).
When is the best time to apply for the program?
Seafarers are encouraged to apply for the SUP program within 90 days of returning to the Philippines for vacation.
How many times can seafarers avail of the program?
After availing of the program for the first time, seafarers can apply again once every three (3) OWWA membership contributions.
Thanks to the Seafarers’ Upgrading Program (SUP), Filipino seafarers can “upgrade” their skills and certifications, making them globally competitive and continuously in-demand in the international maritime industry.
Aside from the SUP, another short-term program offered by OWWA to OFWs is the Skills for Employment Scholarship Program (SESP). Visit this link to know more about this program for OFWs and their dependents.