ONSHORE Magazine March 2020 Issue

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF OSM PHILIPPINES
MARCH 2020
Beyond Compliance

Message from the
General Manager
2
How OSM Care Group
Could Help Families of
Seafarers
11
Nordic Medical Clinic’s
Advice on How to
Protect your Family
from COVID-19
Going the extra mile is not new to us here in OSM.
Over the years, we embodied excellence through our
various initiatives which were recognized by different
organizations.
This time, we are once again called to unite and put
our strengths together as we face this global
challenge brought about by the coronavirus
pandemic. I am more than confident that we will
soon overcome this through constant focus on safety
and excellence.
Most importantly, let me thank all of you, along with
your families and loved ones, for your continued
commitment and cooperation as we strive to achieve
our goal to be happier, wealthier, and healthier.
Thank you for giving your own share of going the
extra mile and doing beyond compliance. After all, in
OSM, it’s all about people and it will always be.
9
Vessel Visit at
MS World Odyssey
Takeover of
Hurtigruten
Vessels
16
3
Cyber Security
Responsibilities Onboard
5
DOF & OSM
Hone Top Caliber Crew
Maritime Leaders
Academy
7
11
How
OSM PH Protected Us
from Recent Threats
Jay Babera
OSM
Volunteers
Encourage You
to Help
Build
17 Communities
13
Catering Academy’s
First Female Chief Cook
Other Stories
15 OSM-SFC Connect Together Despite the Lockdown
20 Services of Nordic Medical Clinic
21 Emergency contact details
21 Partner with OSM Foundation
1

Learn How the
OSM Care Group
Could Help Your Family
Leaders of OSM-SFC during oath-taking ceremony.
OSM has always made its people the core of its business as it remains true to its commitment
that “it’s all about people” and always will be. OSM-Seafarers Family Club (OSM-SFC) was
created then to provide meaningful activities for the seafarer’s priceless possession in life, his
beloved family. As we recognize and uphold the value of the family in influencing the seafarer in
every aspect of his being, four major areas of family life are targeted in the formulation and
conduct of worthwhile projects and activities, such as family value, health & wellness, financial
literacy, and social responsibility.
With the active involvement and overwhelming response of
the seafarers’ families in this endeavor made by OSM, the
OSM-SFC has now grown into 10 chapters nationwide in the
span of more than two decades! Seafarers’ families from
Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, Central and South Luzon, Bicol, Bohol,
Cagayan de Oro and Bacolod joined in the ever-growing SFC
Chapters and added fun as they take part in the annual
gatherings during summer outings, seminars, and year-end
parties.
For this year, OSM-SFC is launching another milestone in its
service to the Filipino OSM Seafarers and their families by the
creation of the ‘care groups’ across all the chapters starting
April.
What is the OSM Care Group?
The OSM Care Group is a support group composed of the
Chapter Head who is mainly the SFC Chapter Club President
together with the Chapter Facilitators who are a mixed group
of other officers and some chapter members. Chapter
Facilitators of this group have been meticulously chosen by
OSM ensuring the good standing or satisfactory performance
of the crew related to the nominated member prior to his/her
acceptance.
How could the Care Group serve you?
The OSM Care Group (CG) is a safe place for the growth of
its members who seek guidance. The main objectives of this
support system is to deepen and strengthen the SFC
members’ knowledge and skills, practices, and values about
family life and other important areas of their well-being. The
CG caters exclusively to OSM-SFC members who will meet on
a monthly basis and do sharing about family life realities and
how to strengthen ties.
The Care Group hopes to establish at least two (2) groups of
CGs in each SFC locality within this year. To kick off the
launching and to formally prepare each CG head and core
group, a “helping skills” training will be conducted the entire
month of March in all 10 chapters. Dr. Michele Alignay, the
SFC family consultant and family systems specialist, will be the
resource person. Close supervision and monthly monitoring
follow the launching will ensure the smooth and successful
run of the CGs nationwide.
With this new endeavor, OSM continues to live up to its
vision: being a home for its people and their families, being an
asset to the society by making a positive and lasting impact to
change lives and empower people, and ensuring its
commitment to be a life-long partner to its customers by
contributing to their success!
By Cheri Marie Donato-Villasin
2

Takeover of Vessels of the World’s
Leader in Exploration Travel
What is its positive impact to the Filipino crew?
A hybrid-powered expedition ship in
polar waters was introduced in 2019
by one of the best-known brands for
expedition cruises, Hurtigruten. Since
1893, the Hurtigruten ships sailed
along Norway’s long coastline — the
Hurtigruten coastal cruise. It is often
called the most beautiful voyage.
Hurtigruten vessels provide state-of-the-art facilities such as
cabins, gym and wellness, library, outdoor decks, restaurants,
shops, and suite service. One of the new onboard experiences
is the Nansen Science Center which focuses on education and
entertainment of the passengers to have a deeper
understanding on the areas they explore. Hurtigruten is
competitive in providing a great service and sincere concern
for their passengers, crew members, and environment as
well. They also launched the first hybrid cruise ship that leads
the way to an emission-free cruise and shipping. MS Roald
Amundsen is the first of a series of hybrid-battery-powered
expedition cruise ships. A sister ship — MS Fridtjof Nansen,
the latest addition to their fleet — started its voyage in
January 2020. A third ship is set to be launched in 2021.
In 2016, Hurtigruten chose OSM to be the service provider of
their crew members. The first batch of qualified candidates
joined MS Midnatsol. It set sailed along Patagonia and
Antarctica. It was followed by MS Fram, MS Spitsbergen,
MS Roald Amundsen, and MS Fridtjof Nansen.
Hurtigruten vessels sail along the Norwegian coast with 34
ports of call, sailing more than 100 fjords and 1,000
mountains. OSM was able to provide 55 technical crew and
265 hotel crew during the initial recruitment.
Our strengthened partnership with Hurtigruten results in
about 380 open positions for Filipinos. This provides great
opportunities for Filipinos on board to hold higher positions.
This also gives world-class, remarkable experience to our
seafarers that will be of great use in their career. Our
partnership with them also brings huge, positive effects not
only to our seafarers but also to their families as well. As time
passes by, this number persists to grow and thus reflects a
success of takeovers endorsed by OSM.
Recently, a vessel visit was conducted on MS Fridtjof Nansen
by OSM through the support of our president, Mailyn Borillo.
The visit aims to ensure the wellness of all the crews and to
further determine factors to improve our services. It also
helps us identify challenges encountered by our seafarers
onboard and to aid them with their needs. The visit also gives
familiarity of the factors to consider in screening the best fit
candidate for a specific job onboard.
In four years, OSM has built strong partnership with
Hurtigruten. Despite the positive feedbacks received by OSM
from our partner, we continue to focus on improvement in
providing competitive candidates and further hone them in
giving beyond standard services. Nonetheless, OSM never
stops living up to our principle, “It’s all about people!”
By Rachel Tungpalan
3

OSM Philippines president, Mailyn Borillo (leftmost) and recruitment manager,
Thomas Dator (7th from left), visit the crew members of MS Fridtjof
Nansen, one of the hybrid-powered expedition cruise ships of Hurtigruten.
The team of chefs and cooks onboard are always making
pleasant dishes for the guests of the expedition cruise ship.
Filipino crew members of MS Fridtjof Nansen take the opportunity
to bond with the management team of OSM Philippines.
Dr. Didoy Lubaton of NMC (from right to left), Global Catering Manager
Markus Gfeller, Recruitment Manager Thomas Dator, and 2E Rimmon
Lagrimas.
4

Building a Pool of High Quality and
Committed Crew
in the effort of DOF and OSM to hone crew to become top caliber seafarers
“Safe the RITE way” (Respect, Integrity,
Teamwork, Excellence). These are the
resounding words all throughout the
recently concluded OSM DOF Conference
held on January 27 and 29, 2020 in Seda
Hotel Iloilo and Diamond Hotel Manila. The
event was attended by almost 100 DOF
seafarers from Iloilo, Manila, and nearby
provinces. The occasion was graced by the
presence of DOF Representatives, namely
Narve Våge - EVP DOF Management,
Åge Ringdal - Maritime Personnel Manager,
and Lene Vik Vassnes - Crew Manager. Our
colleague, Siri Moberg from OSM Norway,
also joined us during the event.
DOF is one of the few principals who organize a seminar not
only in the country’s capital city but also in provinces where
we have large number of seafarers. This is their second year
of doing it. This year, it was held in Iloilo; last year it was in
Cebu. DOF went the extra mile for the seafarers by bringing
the conference closer to their hometown.
The main goal of the conference is for DOF and our seafarers
manning their vessels to be aligned in values, procedures,
goals, ethics, and expectations. As DOF is a value driven
organization , they emphasized the importance of having a
strong foundation and clear set of rules as a principle in
decision making while on board. This will resonate to
operational excellence.
Several seafarers shared the impact of DOF on their
professional and personal lives. One speaker is the newly
promoted Chief Officer, Joshua Reyes of Skandi Captain. He
has been with DOF since 2006 wherein he started his career
as a Deck cadet. He has expressed his utmost gratitude to
DOF as they are an integral part of what he has become.
The Socials Night capped off the whole thing in collaboration
with OSM Catering Academy who prepared appetizing food
and entertainment for everyone’s delight. All had fun with
the games prepared by the Crewing Manila and of course a
Filipino gathering will not be complete without a karaoke!
It was definitely a fun, productive, and insightful conference
and the success of the event is a validation of a very good
partnership between DOF and OSM in building a pool of high
quality and committed crew.
Furthermore, the partnership does not only lie on the
maritime industry. After the conference, DOF representatives
flew to Leyte province together with the OSM Foundation to
visit the indigent children studying in the school that both
organizations have rebuilt in 2014 during the aftermath of
Super Typhoon Haiyan.
By Kathleen Capistrano
5

Participants of the DOF-OSM Conference at Diamond Hotel, Manila
held in January 2020.
DOF and OSM organized another conference outside Manila. It was held in Iloilo City,
one of the cities in the south with the most number of seafarers. DOF intended to bring
the event closer to the seafarers’ home so that the participants (who are on vacation)
would not need to travel to Manila and be able to spend more time with their families.
Mr. Narve Vage, operations manager of DOF, was hands-on
during his session in Iloilo City, ensuring that his young partici
-ipants are learning the technical stuff very well.
Mr. Age Ringdal, maritime personnel manager of DOF, leads
this particular session of the conference at Diamond Hotel,
Manila in pursuit of building a pool of competent and
committed seafarers.
6

Maritime
Leaders
Academy
How does MLA contribute
to seafarers’ career advancement?
In 1998, OSM inaugurated its Training
Academy in response to our seafarers'
training needs. Assisting seafarers career
improvement, the Training Academy has
continually advanced its training programs
to oversee our seafarer’s competence and
drive the implementation of the maritime
industry's best practice that supports our
seafarers to execute their tasks and function
comprehensively while on board the vessel.
Throughout the years, the academy drove its program to gain
accreditations and approvals from different international
maritime organizations while delivering courses that are
beyond the standard. Recently we've secured the approval
from Liberian Registry, the world's second-largest
ocean-going fleet registration authority. Acquiring the
approval from Liberian Registry is a significant
accomplishment not just for our organization but also for our
seafarers who are seeking Liberian documentation.
With more than 5,000 seafarers on board, the academy has
managed to train, assess, and certify these seafarers to
become the preferred crew and officers of our customers.
Having been able to demonstrate the mastery in delivering
training services for more than two decades, we have
reached another milestone by improving our brand name.
Last November, OSM Maritime Group CEO, Bjoern Sprotte,
joined by other colleagues, graced the rebranding of OSM
Training to Maritime Leaders Academy (MLA).
During his speech, Bjoern emphasized that the new name
MLA, is aligned with strategic focus on leadership as a key
driver for growth. MLA shall continue to expand its training
services that meet global standards through different
platforms to ensure that our seafarers and employees can
plan, manage, and monitor their growth within the
organization. Further, to support OSM growth, a sustainable
manpower program should be in place for competent
seafarers that meet customers’ requirements. Rebranding to
MLA is the first step that will allow OSM to partner with
educational institutions which expands the capability of OSM
in supplying seafarers in the fleet.
This manpower program is what MLA calls the Future Leaders
Program. MLA has established an entry-level development
program for future leaders of OSM and our customers. We
recognize the importance of developing leadership behavior
qualities, and instilling the learning culture of OSM early
contributes to producing competent seafarers. Since then,
the program has been providing a sustainable source of
competent officers in the fleet. To date, the program has
already produced 377 competent and well-motivated Filipino
officers.
This quarter, MLA together with our partner maritime
schools, is in the process of selecting suitable candidates to
be part of the program. Each candidate needs to undergo a
stringent hiring and selection process which includes a series
of assessments, profiling, medical examination, and interview.
MLA takes pride in not just producing competent seafarers to
meet the workforce requirements, but also in sharpening the
attitude and practices of our seafarers as they rise to become
the future of our organization.
To know more about OSM Future Leaders Program, you may
contact our Cadet Supervisor Engr. Janu Reyes through
janu.reyes@osm.no .
To know more about MLA, log in to https://osm.no/osmmaritime-leaders-academy/
By Grace Balajadia and Engr. Janu Reyes
7

Visit Us
osm.no/osm-maritime-leaders-academy/
Maritime Leaders Academy cadets, together with their
parents, attend the orientation for the Future Leaders
Program in Manila.
MLA’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by (from
left to right) Offshore Fleet Crew Director Jan Tallaksen,
Crew Management Managing Director Peter Burkal,
OSM Philippines Managing Director Mailyn Borillo,
OSM Group CEO Bjorn Sprotte, Training Director
Adrien Luntao, and RMQA Head Rohit Talwar.
The facilities of the MLA can be accessed online
through a virtual tour.
You may visit mla-ilearn.osm.no and check out the
features of each facility.
8

Getting Familiar with Actual Vessel Operations
to serve our client and seafarers well
On February 10, our team composed of our
colleagues from OSM, Cruise Management
International (CMI) and Nordic Medical
Clinic (NMC) flew to Vietnam for a vessel
visit in one of the passenger vessels under
CMI, the MS World Odyssey. The objective
was to get familiar with and understand the
vessel’s processes more to serve our
customer well.
Stefan Heuser, Director of Hotel Operations, was the first
person we’ve met during the inspection before entering the
vessel. Like us, he was all smiles that we finally met one
another in person. When we finally marched to MS World
Odyssey, we were greeted by a Filipino crew member whose
joy upon seeing us radiated all over the place.
It felt surreal that we were already inside a passenger vessel
which emanates 1920s and Titanic vibes. When the pursers
saw us, their enthusiasm and excitement were contagious. It’s
an uncommon sight for us to see them wearing their
uniforms. It was our team who personally assisted them
during their recruitment, medical and documentation
processes before they joined the vessel. They oriented us
about their routines and functions. We sensed they really
enjoy doing what they do and felt so fortunate to witness that
firsthand.
MS World Odyssey is a floating campus as its passengers are
students and lifelong learners. We tried to picture ourselves
among the students – learning while travelling. Most of its
crew members are Filipinos which is a great deal as it is
always our aim to create more jobs for Filipino seafarers. Our
team had lunch at the crew mess and there. We got the taste
of a typical day inside the vessel. Our seafarers mentioned
that it’s the first time their manning agency set a vessel visit
which they all appreciated, as well as the services our
company is providing to them. We realized that they really
cherished a simple act of kindness and extra mile from the
team. As seafarers, they only have limited time to spend with
their families, and it means so much to them when they were
able to maximize their time in the office for all the
documentation and other concerned matters.
During our meeting with the cruise ship captain, Konstantinos
Siamantas, he ran us through with some of his responsibilities
as a Master. He expressed that he is generally satisfied with
the performances of our Filipino seafarers. Staff Captain
Vadym Tavrovetskiy warmly gave us a tour around the vessel
to provide us a better understanding of the operations inside
the ship.
On the next day, the team also conducted a one-on-one
session with the seafarers to answer their inquiries about
certain things and address some of their concerns. We also
solicited suggestions for us to provide them a much better
service.
Seafarers onboard MS World Odyssey share light
conversations with representatives of OSM, NMC, and CMI
from Manila during the familiarization visit in Vietnam.
9

The chefs and cooks behind the mouthwatering meals
being served onboard MS World Odyssey.
With the permission of F&B Manager Glenmar Gandia, the
team experienced having lunch inside the restaurant
exclusive for passengers/students only. We met our Dining
and Restaurant Filipino seafarers there in action for the first
time. Head Waiter Ronaldo De Guzman, who was all smiles
akin to his usual self in Manila, walked us through their daily
routines and some of their do’s and don’ts.
Our Filipino seafarers cheerfully walked us through their
day-to-day jobs as we visited them in their workplaces –
Galley, Provision, Bar and Laundry Department. Our team also
met our first-timer Catering Trainees at MS World Odyssey
who looked glad and enthusiastic working there. Sous Chef
Danilo Gobangco voiced out his satisfaction with the good
performance of our Catering Trainees and wanted them to be
in his team again for the next season.
During our meeting with Chief Engineer Panagiotis Stathopoulos
and his team, they enlightened us about the hierarchy of
the vessel’s Engine Department and how its system differs
from other vessel types. They also explained the specific functions
and duties of the different positions and why it is crucial
for their team to have those well-experienced seafarers
onboard.
our seafarers.
Witnessing our crew members perform their duties in their
designated departments gave us more motivation to exert
much more extra miles in serving them. It all made us realize
that what our Filipino seafarers appreciate the most is people
who listen, care, and understand. Being away from their
families and loved ones for several months made them
excited to talk to somebody. If we were all to be a team who
encompasses those qualities empathetically, we could create
a deeper connection and relationship, not only with our
seafarers but with our other clients as well. We are doing
good with the service we provide them, but this opportunity
opened our minds that there’s still so much we could do to
make them happier, more satisfied, and more fulfilled.
Happy, satisfied and fulfilled seafarers perform well; great
performances lead to a happier client creating more jobs.
By John Erick Nepomuceno
And as our visit came to its close, Director of Hotel Operations
Stefan informed me that he would send the list of the Filipino
Hotel Crew members for the next season, approximately 80
jobs. And this is because of the good performance shown by
OSM, NMC, and CMI representatives spend light moments
with seafarers onboard the educational cruise ship.
A splendid swimming pool on deck
of the ‘floating campus’.
10

The Collective Effort of OSM PH
to protect us from recent threats
The recent setbacks in our
health and environment
have created a huge impact
in many aspects of our daily
lives since the year has
started. These unexpected
events have also initiated
maximum efforts for the
leaders of OSM to
continuously provide a
healthier environment for
their people and extended a
surmountable effort to
reach out to the affected
families.
11
Taal Volcano Eruption
After 42 years of rest, Taal Volcano has
once again erupted on the 12 th of
January. This major event has created a
havoc among nearby cities and within
the radius of the said volcano. Several
cities in the province of Batangas were
forced to temporarily close and lock
down from tourists due to Alert level 4
status and height-ened risks mandated
by the city government officials. With
this, all families are forced to vacate
their houses and be transferred to
evacuation centers for their own
safety.
The management had reached out to
the employees and seafarers who were
affected by the calamity.
More so, the OSM Foundation
composed of employee-volunteers had
also successfully delivered more than a
hundred packs of relief goods and
gallons of water to families who were
temporarily sheltered in a least assisted
evacuation center in Calaca, Batangas.
COVID-19
Meanwhile, as of this writing, there are
more than 400,000 cases of Corona
Virus Disease 2019 pandemic (also
known as the COVID-19). Due to
threats on health, the Philippine
government started the
implementation of enhanced
community quarantine (ECQ). This
results to lockdown of major cities and
provinces starting March 2020 to
prevent further spread of virus.
International and domestic flights from
Manila and other Philippine airports
ceased operation.
In response to the pandemic, OSM has
been proactively providing service and
information to its seafarers and shore
employees. Even before the lockdown,
the HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment,
& Quality) team has been sending
weekly reports regarding updates of
COVID-19 globally to all employees,
and tips to combat several health risks
and to educate everyone about the
outbreak. In partnership with Nordic
Medical Clinic (NMC), the organization
distributed Vitamin C supplements to
shore employees, cadets, and crew
members for dispatch. The team
builders also distributed

isopropyl alcohol and hand sanitizers
per department and floor to
continuously promote proper hygiene.
In February, OSM conducted a general
townhall meeting for employees where
Dr. Margarita Huerte of NMC tackled
the COVID-19’s history, brief background,
how it is transmitted from one
carrier to another, and the ways to
boost our immune system. Moreover,
HSEQ Manager Richard Macarubbo
provided a broad spectrum of measures
that are being conducted by the
organization to further disseminate
quality information to all employees.
This successful information drive is truly
one of OSM’s ways to prove its tagline,
“It’s all about people.”
NMC has disseminated health tips
providing a practical guide and
countermeasures in several strategic
locations in the OSM office (e.g., TV
display, elevator, etc.) even weeks
before the ECQ.
OSM has also implemented mandatory
temperature check procedure for
anyone entering the building. Our
doctors from NMC are on standby at
OSM Health Hub in Crew Lounge should
the need arise.
With regard to deployment of seafarers,
our crew managers are working closely
with their respective travel agents to
find solutions and minimize the impact
of the travel bans on the crew and
clients of the travel bans that affect
most convenient ports for crew
changes.
When the government started the
implementation of the ECQ in March,
OSM shore employees continue to
operate both online and physically to
ensure that the career plan and
well-being of the seafarers are in place.
Furthermore, the Crew and Family
Welfare Program conducted online
health and family discussions to
continue providing credible advice to
seafarers and their families on how to
keep their families healthy and safe
from the virus.
Nowadays, we must be very mindful
when it comes to our health and safety.
As for OSM, the same will always be at
the top of our priority.
Allow us to quote our OSM Chairman
and Founder, Bjorn Tore Larsen: “We
will continue to be focused on safety
and quality, and to constantly
improve our service to our customers
through continuous development of
people and technology.” OSM’s
extensive measures to protect their
people is truly beyond what a
company should do when
unforeseeable events happened.
Once again, OSM and its dedicated
leaders have proven that the
company lives out its slogan and will
always observe practices, measures,
and actions beyond the standard.
By Trizia Mae Ambrosio
12

Meet the
Catering Academy’s
First Female Chief Cook
“I dreamed of finding a job where I could learn more of about
food and the industry.
Unexpectedly, my cousin who is a seafarer in OSM Maritime
introduced me to the OSM Catering Academy. He shared with
me their program that aims to educate and mentor young,
talented students to become competent catering
professionals on board.
I knew then and there that this program was precisely what I
was looking for.
I joined the Catering Academy full of hopes and excitement.
Every day was a new learning experience. We were trained in
all aspects – galley operations, storekeeping, housekeeping,
even F&B service and front office. We were taught different
topics to familiarize ourselves with the maritime industry. The
six-month training period at the academy fully equipped us
with the skills and knowledge to become a catering warrior at
sea.
Soon after, I got my first assignment on an offshore vessel as a
catering trainee. There were challenges and a lot of
adjustments at first. I faced cultural differences, emotional
downs from missing my family, seasickness, stress and
pressure from superiors, and even gender discrimination. It
was not easy for a young woman like me to work at sea but I
just kept focused on my goals.
The OSM Catering Academy is grateful to
learn that one of the program’s trainees
have reached an amazing milestone in her
career at a young age. Eunice Joy Abrugar,
the program’s first female chief cook and
among the seven CCks as of this date, hopes
to inspire everyone with her story of
perseverance and commitment to quality
service.
“Life at sea is never easy for a woman
like me. But if you have that faith
that you can reach your goals in life,
you will achieve it.
I grew up in a simple family in the
City of Victorias, Negros Occidental,
Philippines, full of aspirations for
life. I graduated Bachelor of Science
in Hotel and Restaurant
Management Major in Cruise Ship
Management. Since I was young, I
was fascinated with cooking and
baking and really wanted to pursue
my passion.
After a few contracts, I was promoted to stewardess.
In between my contracts and as part of my career plan, the
Catering Academy sent me to culinary school to further my
culinary foundation.
These learning opportunities were essential to my promotion
to 2 nd cook soon after.
Due to urgent circumstances while onboard, the unexpected
opportunity of a promotion to Chief Cook was handed to me
by the captain from one day to the other.
My first day of cooking and overseeing the galley operation
will remain an unforgettable memory in my life. My heart was
beating so fast as I watched the faces of the people eating my
food for the first time. Not to my dismay, I saw smiling faces
and received compliments from the crew. It was and will
always remain a fulfilling responsibility to satisfy the cravings
of my fellow crew onboard to my best ability.
I now have a big responsibility, not only to serve quality,
healthy, and nutritious meals every day but also to be the best
role model to the aspiring Catering Trainees in my team.
Thank you to OSM and the Catering Academy for giving me
the opportunity to learn and grow. Thank you to my dearest
family who have been my support and have given me strength
to endure the life at sea.”
13

HSEQ TIPS
Our Health, Safety, Environment
and Quality (HSEQ) Team sorted
practical tips to keep us safe and
healthy amidst the global effort to
combat
COVID-19.
Sources:
World Health Organization
American Psychological Association
14

We Stay Connected Despite the Struggles
How OSM’s CFW Program keeps seafarers and families connected despite the city lockdown
The OSM Seafarers Family Club
of the Crew and Family Welfare
Program find an innovative
solution to keep its thousands
of members connected
especially in this pressing time
when everybody needs
credible advice to keep up the
fight and avoid the collateral
damage caused by COVID-19
such as unnecessary anxiety
and relationship matters.
Before anything else, we invite you to
join “OSM Seafarers Family Club
(Official Group)” on Facebook to
participate in the online activities and
stay connected with 6,000 members.
Now that the Philippine Government
ordered enhanced community quarantine
in many provinces and cities,
Dr. Didoy Lubaton of Nordic Medical
Clinic resorted to online discussion to
reach out to his more than 1,000
viewers on March 23. He emphasized
what families need to observe during
the lockdown period. Given that we
have to thoroughly observe proper
hygiene and take vitamins to boost
our health, he also advised to
maintain a pleasant relationship
among our family members by
avoiding toxic conversations.
This was reinforced by Dr. Michelle
Alignay who highlighted the value of
building connections. According to
her, “We have to build better connection
with our family members because
we have to realize that we
need each other.” She also stressed
the importance of balancing our
emotion when communicating with
our loved ones. To do that, she gave
four practical advices that we may
observe to build and maintain that
connection. First, compose yourself
before you start any conversation.
Second, choose to see and share the
good side. Third, check your tone and
your non-verbal language to ensure
that your real intention is being
communicated well. And lastly,
connect to care.
Let’s all meet on future online
discussions of the Family Club. Feel
free to join us on Facebook!
By Noah Ordoño
15

Cyber
Security
Responsibilities Onboard
We rely on technologies and online
services as valuable sources of
information and to connect with our
families and friends. However, if we
do not securely use these resources,
we become vulnerable to potential
cyber-attacks.
Cyber-attacks are imminent and
some of us may have encountered
them already. To help protect OSM
network and data, including yours,
ICT team presents these basic tips on
how to adopt a secure behavior.
As members of the OSM family, we
have to work together and embrace
the responsibility of protecting our
personal and company digital assets
where we have been given access
to. This is to ensure that we are
proactively reducing our exposure to
cyber-attacks and keep our networks
safe.
By ICT Team
16

OSM Volunteers
Encourage You
to Help Build
Communities
While most of us are enjoying abundant opportunities,
there are those who live in far-flung communities
while struggling to combat poverty and its
roots. That is why many like-minded people including
the OSM Foundation’s army of volunteers are
willing to dedicate their time and skills to help improve
lives. You may encounter the same opportunity
to help save communities in your own ways.
If the chance crosses your path, our 2019 volunteers
have words of encouragement for you to grab it.
“Engaging in community building activities gives everyone a chance
to change people’s lives. It is one way of giving back to our
community while improving social skills and acquiring invaluable
work experience at the same time.”
I learned to respect cultural diversity and realized
the importance of service and gained perspective.
I was excited and a bit nervous about meeting new people and
being pushed outside my comfort zone. The experience contributes
to my personal development especially in areas such as selffulfillment
and self-esteem which often thrive in the core of
volunteering experiences.”
Jayson Papa
Assignment: San Ricardo, Southern Leyte
Karla Cenido
Assignment: Buhi, Camarines Sur
“It’s not easy to be a volunteer. It entails one to sacrifice time and
effort like long trips and long walks, and I say eight hours of
continuous walking. But being a volunteer will also give one a sense
of fulfillment and just being grateful with simple things.
Community engagement and volunteerism left me wanting to do
more for the community as those people deserve better in life. I
highly encourage everyone to be part of the efforts to build
communities. It provides one a sense of purpose and
it’s our simple way of giving back to the
community.”
“We are lucky to be part of a company that has engagements with
the community. OSM has established a platform for us to
participate in volunteerism. After joining the Almagro Project last
year, I’ve realized that such engagement is a necessity,
something I consider as the basic tenet that a
person lives in the service of others. To engage in
community building is not just to make you feel better, as it could.
But as a human, it is the rightful thing to do, as it should.”
Arnold Fortuna
Assignment: Almagro Island, Western Samar
17

“I had the chance to know the community better. I am humbled of the
notion that, despite the impediments, they were able to live
righteously. One should be a ray of hope to the people succumbed in
the darkness of despair. Truly, one simple yet meaningful act can make
a great impact to others.
It helps us discover numerous activities which bring enormous impact
to everyone. This worthwhile causes and selfless acts of kindness do
benefit not just the community but can be even greater to us
volunteers. You would meet new friends, learn a lot of life lessons,
create a harmonious relationship with the community and earn
self-fulfillment in everything you do. You can never go wrong
in helping, and much more, if you did everything
without expecting something in return. No matter how
simple the act is or how small you feel, always take the lead and act out
of good intent.”
Queen Ann Salazar
Assignment: San Ricardo, Southern Leyte
“To meet new friends, connect to the communities, learn the
value of diversity, and earn new experiences, skills, and better
perspectives are the enormous benefits from volunteering. There
is always something new in every assignment given to me.
Doing simple yet high-impact activities on field surely
inspires not only ourselves but also other capable
friends who could offer help to indigent people. From
there, we may find a collective initiative of different people we
have inspired to make a difference.”
Rey Emmanuel Lebanto
Assignment: Almagro Island, Western Samar
Major 2019 Projects of
OSM Foundation
San Ricardo
Southern Leyte Province
Duration: April—June 2019
OSM-AD Foundation held a massive
educational project in the southern
-most town of the host province by
offering college scholarship
opportunities. The team of
volunteers also helped improve the
sports development program in the
municipality’s public high school
and an isolated elementary school.
More than a hundred elementary
students received school bags and
school supplies as well.
Almagro Island
Western Samar Province
Duration: July—October 2019
Located three (3) hours away by
boat from Western Samar
mainland, the volunteers reached
out to two (2) elementary schools
by installing mini children’s
libraries. More so, the volunteers
conducted a workshop for teachers
coming from six (6) participating
elementary schools to contribute to
their skills on making more
effective instructional materials.
Each participating school received
laminating machines to aid them on
making creative visual materials for
teaching.
Buhi
Camarines Sur Province
Duration: January & December 2019
This educational project was a
collective effort of the whole OSM
Family in December 2019. More
than 1,000 notebooks were
donated by our colleagues. In
addition, the volunteers delivered
school bags to around 280
students. But that was not the first
project of OSM in Buhi’s indigenous
community. 11 months earlier, a
deadly storm destroyed the
far-flung villages. That was when
the Foundation first met the
villagers when volunteers delivered
relief packs to 500 families.
By Noah Ordoño
18

“Protect Yourself”
By Dr. Christian “Didoy” Lubaton
Dear Teambuilders!
We are all in the middle of a crisis.
Primarily, we should take care of our
physical health. I encourage you all to be
proactive in fulfilling the basics of boosting
your immune system as our main
defense against COVID-19.
19
Have a rhythm of sleep
When you are sleeping
well, your immune system
is recovering well.
Good natural food
You are what you eat. Go for
available fresh and healthy food
like vegetables and fruits as
much as possible. Healthy
nourishment boosts your body’s
cellular defenses.
Drink your water
With enough water in your
body, there is good blood
circulation that makes the
nutrients available to the cells
and tissues. It helps you
detoxify your urine and sweat.
Stay active
Your body needs to move even
while staying home. Have a
good balance of activities and
rest. Go for push ups, crunches,
and lunges. Go for online
classes of Zumba or yoga.
Consider taking immune boosters
Supplements would help a lot
now, as food availability is
becoming an issue. Take Vitamin C
+ Zinc at 1000mg per day or any
other immune boosting supplement
you may have.
P.S. Send a message to help@nordicmedical.no for any health
concern you may have. We could also schedule a 1:1 conversation
through MS Teams. Know that we are here for you.
Another important thing to secure now is our psychological
health. Good mental and emotional health will get us through
in this situation. It impacts your behavior and lead you to
make the right decisions. It’s a foreseeable crisis; when this
goes longer, there will be some symptoms of edginess, anxiety,
worry, and depression. There are so much adjustments in
our lifestyles and routines, and we need to give ourselves
time to settle in this new normal. Trying to stay connected is
the key for a smoother transition for all.
Put it on Your Calendar
Best practice is to have regular huddles with your teams,
and commit it to your calendars. Meet at least a frequency of
twice a week. Let everyone be accounted for. Consider making
time also to talk about personal life with your teams.
Make a personal calendar to connect with your loved
ones too. Initiate online catch ups, especially those who live
away from your home.
Make it a Learning Time
LinkedIn courses are made available for us to make our
time of work worthwhile too. Make a personal challenge and
see how many courses you could finish in a week.
Time to gather all the books you have been meaning to
read, and set a time daily for learning.
Have a Filter
There’s a huge difference in being informed and being
overloaded. Be mindful in being overwhelmed with so much
news. Most news now could give a negative effect on your
mind and body. Get a daily dose of news as needed, and not
necessarily immerse yourself in hours of information from
social media, TV, etc.
Attitude of Gratitude
It is proven in many studies that a grateful person overcomes
negativity. It’s an attitude against fear and worry. Show
appreciation for the little things and be grateful for what you
still have. Make a gratitude journal beside your bed, and
make a daily list of what you are thankful for before you
sleep.
Power of Prayer in Action
Remaining connected with God will get us all through
this time. It goes beyond religion, sects, or community. A personal
relationship with God will help us have faith over fear
and peace over our problems.
Include in your routine a daily prayer time of 15 minutes.
Participate in online church activities.
Consider to donate in relief efforts. Little acts of love
goes a long way. By helping others, we help ourselves.
Lastly, remember that we are better together. We will get
through this. In due time, we will resume and see each other
again. Let’s look forward to that! And while we are at this
time, we stay protected and connected!

Nordic Medical Clinic (NMC) is a pre-employment clinic for seafarers committed
to provide top quality employment medical services and promoting holistic
health education for our clients and partners. This mission is fueled by its
vision of healthy and health-empowered people leading to the success of the
family, society, and our customers.
NMC’s Health and Wellness Program seeks to give a unique experience for seafarers.
It does not only test seafarers’ health prior boarding, but teaches the
seafarer to take care of themselves on board.
NMC’s brand is a holistic approach to the seafarer’s well-being at sea. We aim
for a decrease in medical repatriations and sick cases on board, and a fast, efficient
service for our crewing customers.
We stand by our core value of Malasakit (Care), bringing back the care to healthcare.
• Every seafarer gets to access and learn through NMC Health App while going through PEME.
• They have free follow-up counselling with NMC Doctors for discussion of PEME results.
• No extra cost on first repeat tests for seafarers.
• For our Crewing customers, medical evaluation is available within 24 hours, and we give
real-time update on status of PEME online.
• Plus, we give seminars for seafarers and crewing employees about health and well-being,
including stress management and mental health.
We can provide PEME for the following Flag States:
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Isle of Man
• Liberia
• Malta
• Marshall Island
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Panama
• Portugal
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Vincent
We can do PEME for Petronas Offshore, Oil&Gas UK, Skuld, and The American Club.
In leading and teaching a healthy lifestyle, maintaining the integrity of our results and understanding the needs of
our customers, Nordic Medical Clinic offers an evolution of the maritime health industry, one seafarer at a time.
Unit 1B Maria Daniel Building, 470 M.H. Del Pilar corner
San Andres St., Malate, Manila, Philippines 1008
+63 2 8562 7810 +63 2 8562 7774 +63 2 8562 7831
DOH License No.:
13-100-17-MF-2
20

Your OSM Family is ‘always on’ for you
21
We will always find solutions to serve our seafarers and partners
despite the global challenges. Let us all stay connected.

Crewing
In case of crew emergency,
contact our Crewing Duty Personnel
at +63 999 227 4232
For Existing OSM Seafarers:
Offshore Fleet — PHCrewing.Offshore@osm.no
Passenger Fleet — PHCrewing.Passenger@osm.no
Conventional Fleet — PHCrewing.Conventional@osm.no
For P&I and Social Contributions:
P&I.Manila@osm.no
For Crew Payroll and Remittance
Contactcenter@osm.no
OSM-AD Foundation
LET’S ADVOCATE
EDUCATION
We invite you to
be our partner
in advocating education in
least assisted communities.
To express your intention,
feel free to send us an email through
anjelo.ordono@osm.no
OSM AD Foundation
We at OSM are presently being challenged by sudden
global events that threaten our health, safety, and operations.
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF OSM PHILIPPINES
MARCH 2020
Published by: OSM Maritime Services, Inc.
479 OSM Bldg., Pedro Gil St., Ermita, Manila, Philippines
W R I T E R S A N D C O N T R I B U T O R S
Trizia Mae Ambrosio
Kathleen Capistrano
John Eric Nepomuceno
Rachel Tungpalan
Eunice Joy Abrugar
E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F
Dr. Christian “Didoy” Lubaton
Cheri Marie Donato-Villasin
Grace Balajadia
Leah Grace del Mundo
Engr. Janu Reyes
Richard Macarubbo
Noah Ordoño
Copyright: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This issue of ONSHORE newsletter features the extra
effort and extra mile that we as stakeholders have
achieved by outdoing ourselves to adapt to the present
challenges while pursuing new opportunities.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused us to observe necessary
adjustments globally while the sudden eruption of Taal
Volcano triggered our OSM volunteers to respond to the
families of seafarers, employees, and communities effectively.
The organization had to step up further to surpass
the demands of the industry. Teams were sent to visit the
workplace of the seafarers on board to understand their
operations well. New conferences were also facilitated in
pursuit of making a pool of top caliber crew. Lastly and
equally important, new programs were launched to contribute
to seafarers’ career advancement and also for the
well-being of the family of our crew. This saw OSM doing
actions and working on development that are way beyond
the standard, thus our theme for this issue is
“Beyond Compliance”.
This issue is dedicated to the entire Team OSM composed
of seafarers, our shore base colleagues, families, and
partners who are working together to surpass these challenges.
It is our ONSHORE team’s pleasure to cover your
splendid stories.
ONSHORE EIC
22

osm.no
BE AN OSM SEAFARER
BE ONE OF US!
SEND YOUR CV TO
recruiting.manila@osm.no
POEA-233-SB-053113-AOE-MLC