Monday, October 1, 2018, 4:18 a.m.
By Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho
The winners of the search for Ten Outstanding Maritime Students of the Philippines TOMSP were announced last September 30, 2018 as part of the 23rd National Seafarers’ Day (NSD) led by Apostleship of the Seas (AOS).
The nationwide search started in 2010 and gave recognition to students for being academically excellent, highly competent in practice, in good moral standing and active in their respective communities. The chosen students are seen as the embodiment of the “ideal seafarer,” displaying “integrity, passion, assertiveness, dependability and camaraderie” that will allow them to become globally competitive Filipino seafarer.
The 2018 TOMSP winners are:
- Aison Belarmino, University of Perpetual Help System DALTA , UPHSD (Las Piñas);
- Ian Christian Elardo, DMMA College of Southern Philippines (Davao);
- Christian Gilbert Esteban, Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) – IMMAJ JSU (Bataan);
- John Paul Guevarra, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy PMMA (Zambales);
- Daimler Daves Nisco, Malayan Colleges (Laguna);
- Jancarl Gregory Palacio, University of Cebu – Lapulapu and Mandaue UCLM (Cebu);
- Carl Oscar B. Peña, Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) – IMMAJ JSU (Bataan);
- France Gerard Santamena, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation JBLCF – Bacolod (Bacolod City)
- Junel Kristian. Semaña, Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) – CGSO (Bataan);
- Ken Arnie Tulmo, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation JBLCF – Bacolod (Bacolod City)
Former president Fidel V. Ramos earlier issued on July 9, 1996 Proclamation No. 828 declaring August 18 as National Seafarers Day wherein the AOS was tasked to coordinate with the public and private sector in activities related to the celebration of said event. The purpose of the Proclamation is to give due recognition to the vital role of Filipino seafarers towards the development of the Philippines as a maritime country. Later, Proclamation No.1094 was issued in 1997 by President Ramos which moved NSD to every last Sunday of September every year. The theme for this year’s 23rd NSD is “Marinong Filipino: Kayamanan ng Lahi”.
