Pimsat unveils 1st ship simulator in R.P

The P20 Million Group-Simulator

Atty. Carrera (Extreme Right), President of Pimsat, being interviewed by the media.

SIMULATOR. Guests curiously  watch the P20 million group- simulator and the make- believe ocean beyond the window of the bridge being demonstrated by maritime instructors of Pimsat College in Dagupan City during its inauguration recently at its school campus in Bolosan village. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A maritime college here dusted-off its rivals all over the country after it bought the first multi-million peso ship group-simulator from Europe to train its students in different sea faring situations.
Rebene C. Carrera, a lawyer and the school president, said with the ship simulator, Pimsat College graduates can hurdle government examinations and will easily be hired by shipping entities abroad. “They (students) are competent because of their training in the simulator,” he said. Carrera explained that the group simulator that costs Euro 230 thousand (P20 million), is indispensable because ships these days are computerized. He said the European- made simulator located in the ship-liked edifice of Pimsat, gives the students a feel of an actual navigation either it is in the high seas in the Atlantic or the Pacific, or when they negotiate to navigate the harbors in Great Britain or in the United States.
 Because of the multi-million pesos gadget, Carrera said PIMSAT will be known locally and internationally as school which provides graduates with the most advance training. He explained that the graduates could be handling competently expensive ships abroad because of the training from Pimsat.
He explained that because of this training, Pimsat graduates could avoid sea disasters. “They can reduce maritime catastrophe that are happening all over the world.
 Maritime accident is very expensive. Maritime accidents cause pollution that will become a big problem.” He cited the recognition given by the North Seafarer of Norway to the school curricula. He said this organization was the one that certified the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) of the college. He said the school has maintains its ISO since 1990s.
He lauded this organization because it helps uplift the standard of maritime schools in the Philippines that have reputations of producing half-baked graduates. “In fact you remember several (maritime) schools have been closed by this organization because they were not able to comply with international standard. I will not mention their names, you know them already, because of what the CHED (Commission on Higher Education) (has done).
They have no political will to do it,” he cited. The president said soon the school will acquire another multi-million of pesos engine simulator to buttress the competence of students on operating ship engines. The ship and engine simulators, Carrera said, will make the graduates of the college a popular among shipping agencies that are looking for quality crew.