More than 3,000 grade schoolers from three schools in Laguna learned about the maritime profession by the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

Committed to fostering a new generation of Filipino seafarers, the German-based shipowner Döhle Group wrapped its third leg of the Adopt A Ship Program at Sampaguita Village Elementary School (SVES) on May 24, 2024.

For 10 weeks, 781 SVES students exchanged emails and questions with a partner ship officer through their social studies teacher. Implemented by Döhle Seafront Crewing (Manila), the program also ran at Landayan Elementary School with 1,573 students, and San Vicente Elementary School with 683 – aiming to introduce and spark interest in the maritime profession among grade school students.

“Part of our job as responsible marine HR committed to building a maritime community is to ensure the sustainability of its manpower. Adopt A Ship aligns with our goal to make the industry more attractive to the younger generation,” said Atty. Iris Baguilat, president of Döhle Seafront.

Chief Officer Jeffrey Aldas, the Philippine Adopt A Ship coordinator, also echoed this sentiment, expressing concern over the over-sensationalized maritime tragedies.

“When you ask students nowadays what they want to be when they grow up, many say a pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, but rarely a seafarer. Not even children of seafarers. We aim to build dreams and interest and inspire the youth to join the maritime industry and debunk the unappealing stories with narratives of success, triumphs, and inclusivity with our partner officers onboard,” Aldas said.

Following the previous school year’s successful pilot run in Laguna with Rosario Complex Elementary School and Döhle Seafront, the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office of San Pedro City, Laguna, endorsed the program to 13 other schools in their jurisdiction.

“Since the Philippines is composed of more than 7,000 islands, shipping remains the primary mode of transportation for inter-island travel, whether for goods or services of people. Our learners must maintain and sustain the necessary knowledge on the importance, relevance, and challenges of the maritime industry because it serves as the ‘connecting factor’ between our diverse islands, uniting us as one,” said Rogelio Opulencia, schools division superintendent of DepEd San Pedro, Laguna.

Opulencia further lauded the program’s format where learners consume knowledge through firsthand information from seafarers. He highlighted how this approach impacts building student interest and engagement with the country’s rich maritime heritage.

“As Adopt-A-Ship enters its third school year in Laguna, may we all continue to level up and intensify our interest and passion to build a solid foundation that will strengthen the maritime industry and the professionals who rely on it,” he added.

According to Geraldine Tan, one of the teachers who facilitated the program in LES, including the topic in Social Studies was challenging. However, with the help of her partner ship officer, everything went well.

Her fellow Adopt A Ship teacher from SNVES, Maria Lourdes Jimenez, agrees.

“At first, I was anxious about implementing the program in my classroom because I only have limited knowledge about maritime topics. However, I am grateful to be chosen for the program because I knew I would learn about it. The first week was quite exciting and challenging. Eventually, through the help of the program coordinator and the assigned officer on board Sir Renil, everything went smoothly. They were responsive and provided comprehensive explanations about our queries,” shared Jimenez.

Another Adopt-A-Ship teacher, Sheryl Palermo from SVES, shared her approach to the program.

“It involves a lot of technical and specialized knowledge. The challenge is making these complex concepts understandable through creative and interactive classes where students actively participate. I used visual aids like diagrams, videos, and real-life case studies with regular hands-on activities,” she noted.

For the school year, joining Jimenez in SNVES were social studies teachers Laurice Anne Balbuena, Epifania Escopete, and Daylinda Daitol, headed by School Head Omar Jacalne. Palermo was joined by Edgenel Viterbo, Jody Ann Bermudez, and Ramil Badillo of SVES under the administration of OIC-School Head Renante Soriano. For LES, Tan rolled out the program with Julibeth Ramirez, Marites Bernardino, and Eileen Jayne Kalugdan, led by School Principal Virginia Pulido.

They were partnered with a diverse group of seafarers, including ship captains Archipelago Gabol, Nilgie Morandarte, Ariel Gludo, John Munar, and Jose Mari Madriaga; chief officers Jomel Andrada, Chad Partosa, James Delica, and Renil Ruiz; second officers Wiljohn Sale and Jorge Fuedan Jr.; second engineer Rafael Villalobos; and even non-Filipinos, captains Andrej Gritskevich from Lithuania and Jacek Bebenek from Poland.

The program is set to recommence by the opening of the academic year 2024-25 in August.