On September 26, 2022, the Philippine-Japan Manning Consultative Council, Inc. (PJMCC) hosted a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Signing Ceremony with the Physician for Peace Philippines, Inc. (PFPP). In line with PJMCC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, this partnership with the PFPP will undertake the following:
Setting-up of an Assistive Technology Hub/ Workshop for Prosthetic and Orthotic devices at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center; and
Conduct of Assistive Technology Service Missions in selected remote communities around the Philippines.
The Signing Ceremony was conducted on the 5th floor of the IMMAJ-PJMCC Training Center located in JSU-AMOSUP Mariners Home, 1765 Vasquez corner Nakpil streets., Malate, Manila.
The event started at 1400H with PJMCC Board Trustee, Mr. Paul Roxas, introducing the participants present for the occasion. The attendees were PJMCC President, Capt. Emmanuel Regio, PJMCC Board Trustee, Capt. Gaudencio Morales and PJMCC Board Trustee, Head of CSR Projects, Capt. Banny Briones, PFPP Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Lyne Abanilla, PFPP Vice-Chairman, Mr. Robert Lane, PFPP Board Treasurer and Program Director, Dr. Josephine Bundoc, International Mariners Management Association of Japan (IMMAJ) Chief Manila Representative, Capt. Genichi Osaka and IMMAJ Manila Representative, CE Masataka Fukuta.
As the PJMCC President, Capt. Regio delivered his message about the project. He stated that as their first healthcare CSR project, the foundation partnered with PFFP for their expertise and facilities to accomplish its implementation. He added that PJMCC and PFPP chose the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as the most suitable medical center to build an Assistive Technology Hub, expecting victims of war as beneficiaries. On behalf of PFPP, Ms. Abanilla expressed her gratitude to PJMCC, and pledged to implement the projects successfully, promising their service for seafarers and hoping for the project to be a continuing endeavor.
Thereafter, the MOA signing was conducted, led by Capt. Regio and Ms. Abanilla and witnessed by Capt. Briones and Dr. Bondoc, marking a new milestone for both organizations. “I feel that this would be a successful project,” says Capt. Regio “Although we lean towards servicing seafarers, we want this to be a project for all, especially the victims of war in Mindanao. Our aim is to service the unserved.”