More than 120 vacationing crew and family members attended the Crew and Allottees conference held in Cebu City, southern Philippines on Saturday, May 27 — registering a participation rate of 133% from the expected attendance.
Themed ‘Reset & Renew’, the event aimed to provide stakeholders with information on all the changes and developments that have occurred in the organization and its processes over the past three years. It also sought to deepen relations between the shore organization and the seafarers and their families, and help members of the Odfjell community forge a tighter bond.
VP – Head of Crewing Agnes Enesio formally opened the event expressing gratitude to the crew and their families for their attendance, and for standing by the company during the challenging pandemic times. She also shared recent developments and future focus areas, from safety, quality and cost, to gender diversity, mental health on board, and plans for the allottee clubs.
The event also featured the awarding ceremony for four Odfjell seafarers who have served the company for at least 25 years. Enesio, along with OPI General Manager Captain Remigio Zamora, presented the plaque and gold watch to the loyal awardees.
Representatives from various units of MPS Manila afterwards went onstage to introduce their respective teams and responsibilities, as well as the changes that have been implemented in the crewing process over the past three years.
One lasting change brought about by the pandemic is the shift to e-commerce and electronic banking. To help seafarers and their families navigate this increasingly used arena, Manager IT Miguel Cortez presented the top cybersecurity threats and shared tips on how to avoid them. Communications Officer Shiela Virtusio afterwards discussed social media security, with focus on identify theft and scam on Facebook. She also presented some reminders on road safety, drawing from this year’s Global Safety Day celebration at the office.
In the afternoon, two guest presenters offered more valuable information relating to health and safety. Ginah Kimlet Catacutan of the Magsaysay Houlder Insurance Brokers (MHIBI) presented the hospitalization benefits of the crew and their dependents, while Mohammad Jan Manalo from Red Cross Cebu Chapter shared tips on how the participants can prepare for disasters. His presentation also included a demonstration of hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation and abdominal thrust maneuver to treat upper airway obstructions.
Two members of the 28th batch of cadets delivered attestations, citing how getting accepted to the Odfjell Cadetship Program has changed their lives. The attestation was followed by a song and a dance number that not only entertained the audience but also proved how extremely talented these cadets are.
The event also featured some games and raffle draws that made the day exciting for the participants.
The program was concluded with a closing remarks from Zamora, who summed up the day and also expressed his gratitude for the active participation of both the seafarers and family members present at the event.
