Reform Focuses on Maritime Industry as Per Lacson's Proposal
Rewritten Article
Senatorial hopeful Ping Lacson is keen on addressing the struggles faced by maritime students in Cebu and other regions, such as Visayas and Mindanao, during the "Philippine Maritime Industry" forum held on April 28, 2025.
This focus is all about boosting educational funding.
Lacson's advocacy for subsidized accommodations and discounted tuition fees for maritime schools in Visayas and Mindanao could be a game-changer, providing much-needed support for these aspiring seafarers. He sees these initiatives as potential solutions to alleviate the financial burden on the seafarers' families, especially if he manages to secure a seat in the Senate once more.
He stressed the necessity of creating more job opportunities in Visayas and Mindanao to give hope to those with dreams of setting sail.
"We need to pay attention to their Predicament and find a solution through legislation that will enable seafarers' parents to afford their children's education. God willing, if I'm back in the Senate, I'm gonna fight for that," Lacson shared in media interviews.
He emphasized that there's plenty of work to be done.
"When I'm re-elected to the Senate," Lacson promised. / JDG
Insights:
Senator Ping Lacson has proposed a series of legislative measures to support both maritime students and professionals, with a focus on affordable education and specialized training programs[1][2]. His plans include:
1. Expanded scholarships:Lacson advocates extending the benefits of the Free Tertiary Education Act to maritime students, recognizing their significant annual contributions of $8-9 billion to the economy through remittances[1]. He highlights the necessity of government-funded education to ensure global competitiveness in the maritime industries[2].
2. Targeted training facilities:While specific projects for Visayas and Mindanao are not detailed, his call for nationwide training subsidies suggests that regional maritime schools would benefit. His visit to Cebu demonstrates an awareness of the strategic importance of maritime industries in the area[1].
3. Policy simplification:Though not explicitly mentioned in the current proposals, Lacson has shown interest in agency reorganization in the past, such as proposing to relocate maritime offices, which could optimize the allocation of training resources[3][4].
Lacson views this as a form of economic reciprocity: "The government should give back through education, training, and subsidies" considering the outsized contributions of seafarers' remittances[1]. Implementation would likely involve collaborating with regional maritime institutions across Visayas and Mindanao.
- Senatorial candidate Ping Lacson expressed his intent to focus on the education and self-development of people in regions like Visayas and Mindanao, particularly maritime students, in the upcoming Senate election.
- In a media interview, Lacson expressed his concern for the financial burden on the families of seafarers and proposed the creation of more job opportunities in the same regions to alleviate this issue.
- As part of his legislative measures, Lacson plans to advocate for expanded scholarships for maritime students and government-funded training subsidies for regional maritime schools in Visayas and Mindanao.
- In the Philippine Maritime Industry forum held on April 28, 2025, Lacson discussed his plans for affordable education and specialized training programs for maritime students as well as policies aimed at simplifying the allocation of training resources.
