University of Cebu

The university's 13th batch of Norwegian-Shipowners’-Association (NSA)-sponsored cadets will soon take to the sea for their shipboard training.
On February 24, 2007, the New Dorm Audio Visual Room (AVR) at the UC-METC was filled to the brim with outbound cadets and their parents for the NSA meeting and pre-embarkation briefing.
During the affair, the parents and cadets were given a preview of life at sea. Intimidating yet eye-opening questions were thrown to the cadets by C/M George Frage, NSA Asst. Project Manager (Phil).
“Can you go on without sleep for 24 hours?”
“Are you willing to work odd hours?”
“Do you mind working in hot, noisy and dirty places?”
“Can you withstand extremes in temperature and weather?”
The parents were also advised to avoid giving their children bad news from home while aboard, so a not distract the cadets from their apprenticeship.
Capt. Morten Johnsen, NSA Project Manager (Phil.) also reminded the students to “be polite, and be team players.”
Of the 74 upcoming third-year Maritime students, 22 Marine Engineering cadets will be joining the Höegh Fleet Services (HSF), while 26 Marine Engineering and 26 Marine Transportation students will be with the OSM Group of Companies. All of them will be honing their skills and applying the theoretical studies at sea for 12 months.
While doing so, each of them will be receiving a tax-free monthly allowance in American dollars, covered by accident insurance, and will be assisting and guided by officers on-board.
Everyone who will be deployed with OSM will be getting 0-500 per month. HSF cadets will be compensated monthly with 0 each. In addition, “OSM cadets will be remunerated for their overtime pay,” informed Ms. Marilou Gonzales, UC-NSA Coordinator. Their transportation towards the port of embarkation and even their food while at sea will be well taken cared of by the principal. “Everything will be for free,” assured Ms. Josie Rivera, NSA-HFS Coordinator.
The HFS vessels’ usual route covers Japan, parts of Europe, various states in the USA, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. HFS cadets will soon have the Advance Fire-Fighting training and will be in Manila on March 26, 2007 for personal appearance at the US Embassy for their visa.
The 74 cadets will be joining their corresponding principal anytime between May and June, 2007.