Women seafarers, cadets, seafarers’ wives, union workers and hospital staff joined together in an enjoyable event as AMOSUP Women leads the celebration of International Women’s Day at the AMOSUP Convention Hall on 7 March 2025.
The fun-filled event kicked off with a 30-minute Zumba session where the participants gracefully dominated the dance floor with their vibrant energy.
AMOSUP President, Dr. Conrado F. Oca gave a message on women’s important role in the maritime industry. “Today, we honor you and recognize all of your hardwork and sacrifices as the guiding light of your families and as an integral part of the maritime industry and our society,” he said.
Dr. Oca also applauded the inclusion of women in the Republic Act 12021, “the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, specifically in Chapter IV, ‘Women in the Maritime Industry, seeks to promote their health, security, dignity, and general welfare, as well as to protect their rights to adequate training and opportunities.”
“We in AMOSUP have always believed that we must always work for the empowerment of women in the maritime sector because there are great opportunities for them in the industry, especially now that we are moving towards automation and digitalization in shipping,” Dr. Oca added.
Two panel discussions on women’s overall wellness ensued with Dr. Claudette Cabingue of the AMOSUP Seamen’s Hospital OB-Gyne Department who talked about women’s health, followed by Ms. Robelyne Lumampao, RPsy, MBA, Chief of the Behavioral Science Division of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), who discussed the significance of taking good care of women’s mental health.
The diverse group of participants gave their feedback after the informative sessions. “Being there for a fellow woman [who] is suffering through a lot along [considering] women’s nature of keeping things to themselves may be the biggest thing you can do [for] a person,” said MAAP 3CL Lalaine Dulo. “To all women, especially in the maritime industry, always be beautiful and loving in all aspects of your life and always do the three 8’s of wellbeing – 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of work and 8 hours of self-care,” shared Ms. Nimfa Pagkalinawan of AMOSUP Slop Chest.
Duty Free Philippines, Inc. and Women Championing Seafarer Families (WCSF) also conducted fun and interactive games and gave away exciting prizes.
The event concluded with a festive lunch and fellowship among the women in the AMOSUP family