New Facilities Welcome Incoming Class to the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy

First row, second from left, Keizo Takewaka;
third from left, Yasumi Kudo;
fourth from left, Teresita R. Manzala;
fifth from left, J. Roberto C. Delgado;
sixth from left, Roberto Vallarino

On June 1, the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA) proudly welcomed 180 new students to its new campus in Calamba, about 50 kilometers south of Manila. Two ceremonies were held — an opening ceremony for the sparkling new crew training facilities, maritime academy, classrooms, and lodgings, and then an entrance ceremony for the incoming class.

NTMA is jointly run by NYK and business partner Transnational Diversified Group (TDG).* Students receive three years of classroom study that includes use of the academy’s ship-handling simulator and engine plant, and follow that learning with one year of practical onboard training. Graduates are then set to begin careers on board NYK vessels as officer candidates.

Joining NYK president Yasumi Kudo and TDG chairman J. Roberto C. Delgado at both ceremonies included invited guests Teresita R. Manzala, the chairperson of the Philippines’ Professional Regulation Commission; Keizo Takewaka, deputy chief of mission and consul general at the Japanese embassy in the Philippines; Roberto Vallarino, the Panamanian ambassador to the Philippines; and Conrad Oca, president of the Associated Marine Officer's and Seamen's Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP).

In his commencement address, Kudo encouraged the students by saying, “Competence is the ability to perform effectively and efficiently a certain task using the knowledge and theories coupled with the right values, skills, and discipline. In the shipping sector, competent and trustworthy seagoing personnel are necessary to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the ship and the safe delivery of cargo to its destination on time." Kudo also commented on the completion of the new training center: "This new facility is committed to providing our seafarers with the tools they need as NYK crew members. I sincerely hope that this gift will inspire our crews to acquire the competencies needed for them to perform to the best of their abilities on board."

The program offered at NTMA produces high-quality seafarers by providing them with a basic level of scholarship in addition to valuable experience on board. Until last year, the academy accepted 120 students — 60 each in the fields of marine navigation and marine engineering — but this year 180 students were accepted, 90 in each academic discipline.

The incoming class is the seventh at the academy, which recently graduated its second class. Each year, graduating students take the nationwide Maritime School Assessment Program (MSAP) examination for students attending merchant vessel seamanship schools in the Philippines, and virtually all the NTMA students have ranked well above their peers from other schools. NTMA students are taking the ship officer examination, and after acquiring the seafarer certificate of competency, each graduate will begin a career as a third officer or third engineer on an NYK ship, thus starting the journey through the NYK Group’s career development programs to eventually become a captain or chief engineer.

In August 2011, NTMA was one of the first maritime academies to be recognized by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) under a new certification program for graduates of overseas maritime academies. The upgrade to its training facilities will allow the academy to continue to offer practical courses that best prepare the seafarers for future challenges, thus improving both the quality and quantity of Filipino seafarers in core positions throughout the NYK Group.

- Outline of NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA)

Established	June 3, 2007
Size	Number of students: 180 per academic year in two academic disciplines, 90 in marine navigation and 90 in marine engineering. (Until 2012, 120 students per academic year, 60 in marine navigation and 60 in marine engineering)
	Instructors: about 40, including part-time instructors
Location	Calamba, a city in the suburbs of Manila (about a one-hour drive from Manila)
Curriculum	Four years (three years of academic study and one year of onboard training)
Mission	To foster global seafarers through higher education by focusing on building an individual’s sense of humanity and providing training in practical maritime technologies.

*Transnational Diversified Group (TDG)

A business group established by Chairman J. Roberto C. Delgado. Business activities include vessel agent services, seafarer manning, training and cadet education, as well as other logistics businesses. TDG and NYK have maintained a cooperative relationship since the establishment of TDG in 1976.