MARINA Celebrates Day of the Seafarer; Launches SID

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To recognize the immense contributions of seafarers, not only in the Philippine economy, but also in the international seaborne trade, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has celebrated the "Day of the Seafarer" at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on 25 June 2019.

The annual global event, which was coordinated with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), was organized around the theme of gender equality and also linked with the slogan of the upcoming World Maritime Day on 26 September 2019, "Empowering Women in the Maritime Community."

Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, through Undersecretary for Maritime Fernando Juan Perez, extended his greetings to all the seafarers and the MARINA for continuous effort and hardwork in developing the maritime industry.

"My heartfelt congratulations, as well as to the hardworking men and women of the MARINA. We have achieved leaps and bounds in the development of the Philippine seafaring industry. Mabuhay ang mga manlalayag na Pilipino," Secretary Tugade stated.

For his part, MARINA Officer-In-Charge Vice Admiral Narciso A Vingson Jr commended Filipino Seafarers for their huge contributions and emphasized that the agency is one with the world in celebrating the Day of the Seafarer.

"Today, we especially recognize the gallantry and service of our Filipino seafarers who are conquering high seas to provide for their families and keep the economy humming through shipping. Our snappiest salute fittingly goes to the industry’s unsung heroes," Vice Admiral Vingson said.

The MARINA's celebration of the Day of the Seafarer also included the mass oathtaking of new Merchant Marine officers who successfully passed the MARINA examination, a talk about mental wellness, a battle of the bands, and a concert, as well as the processing of Certificate of Proficiency (COP), Certificate of Competence (COC), and Seafarer's Identification and Record Book (SIRB).

Meanwhile, in a video message, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim also recognized the important role of women in the international maritime industry.

"To everyone in shipping – you are missing out on a huge talent pool if you do not recognize and empower women in the workplace. Join our Day of the Seafarer campaign and get on board with gender equality at sea," IMO Secretary-General Lim said.


Launching of SID

During the event, the MARINA also formally launched the Seafarer's Identity Document (SID).

The SID is developed in compliance with the standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 185 or the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention 2003, as amended.

Generally, the SID will facilitate Filipino seafarers’ shore leave, cross border, transfer, and repatriation even without a visa.

Direk Adolf Alix: “Anita Linda is a Living Storyteller of PH Cinema”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Award-winning filmmaker Adolfo Alix, Jr. expressed his admiration for veteran actress Anita Linda during the “Sandaan: Dunong ng Isang Ina” event organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to honor the veteran actress' contributions Philippine cinema held last June 16, 2019 at the Cinematheque Centre Manila.

“She is a living storyteller of how the Philippine cinema evolved. So banggitin niyo lang po sa kanya ‘yung isang pelikulang nagawa niya, and she will tell you wonderful stories about how the film was made, what anecdote she has with the director or co-actors, which I think is a great testament to the entire history of cinema,” said Adolfo Alix, Jr. at the event. It was part of the commemoration for Sandaan: the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema and Mother’s Day, and was attended by Anita’s family and friends, people she has worked with, and guests from the media.

Director Alix has worked with Anita in various movies, including “Presa” and his recent film “Circa,” which reaped the White Light Post-Production Award at the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Film Forum (HAF) last March.

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño handed the achievement award to Anita, who is considered the oldest living actress working in the Philippine film industry. “On behalf of FDCP and the entire industry, we are very happy that we are awarding you this recognition. Maraming-maraming salamat po sa pagiging isang ina sa aming lahat, for being one of the country’s living treasures. You are a living movie legend to all of us,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño during her speech.

Ruel Pambid, Jr., Anita Linda’s nephew, also took pride in having Anita Linda as his aunt. “Nagpapasalamat kami sa FDCP because, at 94 years of age, binigyan niyo ng parangal ang isang Anita Linda. Although of course, we didn’t really look at her as such an actress [but as family]. We’re very proud of her accomplishments because none of her brothers and sisters, none of her nephews, nieces, none of her apos followed in her footsteps. Not one of us became actors or actresses, but we would, of course, relish the fact that the late family produced one such stellar personage in Philippine cinema, and I cannot be more proud that I’m related to Anita Linda.”

A free screening of the widely acclaimed Anita starrer film “Adela” by director Alix was held during the event.

Meanwhile, “The Life of Anita Linda: An Exhibit” at the Cinematheque Centre Manila showcased the different stages of Anita Linda’s life as an actress as well as memorabilia from her career.

Suzuki Sealed Sweeping Victories at the Super Series Nationwide Championship - Davao GP

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Team Suzuki secured a dominant win at the midway round of the Super Series Nationwide Championship by bringing home six trophies and five championship titles at Davao GP coupled with an
outstanding turnout of its one make races – the Skydrive Sport Cup and Raider Breed Wars.

Team Suzuki-VMan Racing

Team Suzuki-VMan Racing April King Mascardo sure did not disappoint his Davaoeño fans by giving them a remarkable performance at Davao GP. After his failed attempt in sealing a podium win last year on his home ground, Mascardo ensured that his comeback would be big by taking not just one but three championship titles. The Davaoeño rider’s confidence in the practice and qualifying session was
so evident that he was able to secure all of the pole positions in the races he championed in - the Super Underbone Sealed Engine, the Super Underbone Open and the Super Scooter Sealed Engine
categories. He even improved his best lap time at 24.489 from the qualifying session to 24.402 at the final race of the Super Underbone Sealed Engine category using the powerful Raider R150 Fi.

Mascardo led by getting a holeshot, breaking away from the pack and then maintaining his race pace until the last lap. His succeeding races seemed like a replay of his first race performance bringing the
crowd to their feet every time he crossed the finish line.

The same scenario went with Rmand Salandanan who was also a consistent topper at the Skydrive Sport Cup securing the Pole Position and championship title in the category at Davao GP. The Regional Underbone Grand Prix (RUGP) running exclusively in Visayas and Mindanao in the
Novice/Intermediate category was also claimed by Roel Rubin and Djereck Ondillo with their Raider R150 Fis who finished at the 1st and 2nd Runner Up, respectively. Nikko Nambatac on the other hand, took home the 3rd spot at the Raider Breed Wars – Raider R150 FI while the rest of the team showed an overall good performance with their respective bikes.

The Skydrive Sport Cup and Raider Breed Wars

The enthusiastic crowd of Davao was as equally intense as the rich pool of riders who participated at the Skydrive Sport Cup and Raider Breed Wars. Registrants of the Suzuki Skydrive Sport Cup easily got
a good grip of the beginner’s bike making it a perfect companion for rookie and novice riders. It was the top rankers Rmand Salandan (Champion), Polo Arellano (1st Runner Up) and Deo Pondoc (3rd Runner Up) again who emerged victorious during the race. An all ladies category for the Suzuki Skydrive Sport Cup also ran for the first time to give way for young female riders who wanted to experience the new fashion scooter on the racetrack. Grabbing the podium for this were Yna Marie
Enriquez (Champion), Angelie Sala (1st Runner Up), and Richelle Del Rosario (2nd Runner Up).

Meanwhile, the power and performance of the Raider R150 Fi was showcased once again in Mindanao with the following winners: Polo Arellano (Champion), Deo Pondoc (1st Runner Up), and Nikko
Nambatac (2nd Runner Up). The Skydrive Sport Cup and Raider Breed Wars are powered by Racing Boy and Pirelli.

Team Suzuki will head back to the racing arena at Bacolod GP on the 4th Round of Super Series Nationwide Championship on July 14