The Chair opened his visit by meeting colleagues in Manila as he toured around the office. He used the opportunity to ask colleagues about their experiences working from home during the lockdowns, their assessments of the various systems introduced as part of our digitalization efforts, and their perspectives on a variety of issues ranging from policies affecting seafarers to machine learning. Everyone appreciated these brief but insightful discussions.
Laurence's first formal meeting was with OiP department heads, who briefed him on the organization and its roles and processes. He then had lunch with MPS Manila's top brass and a few seafarers, including Captain Francis Sydney Barrientos, Captain Randy Allan Cabiao, Chief Engineer Sandy Arce, and Chief Engineer Allan Barrieta.
Laurence used the opportunity to update the seafarers on our zero-emission plans, solicit feedback to strengthen the company's relationship with its seafarers, and thank them for their outstanding performance, particularly during the pandemic.
On Tuesday morning, the Chair met with some Management Level Officers (MLO) to gather their feedback and suggestions on how to further improve various aspects of operations on board. He was deeply moved when the seafarers expressed their gratitude for last year's holiday recognition payment.
The Chair's Manila visit also included discussions on the crewing situation in the Philippines, a visit to the Norwegian Training Center and a presentation on how digital crew management systems are implemented.
