In pursuit of strengthening knowledge on crew and staff welfare, Senator Crewing (Manila) Inc.’s Quality Assurance Officer and Assistant P&I Claims Welfare Officer, Ms. Anna Lisa D. Ureta attended Caretakers of Seafarers workshop on May 16, 2024, at the AMOSUP Convention Center, Intramuros, Manila City.
The workshop underscored the need to equip maritime professionals with appropriate tools and knowledge on self-care, as well as the importance of providing Marine HR personnel with the tools and strategies necessary to navigate the challenges of their profession, as these tools and strategies are believed to assist maritime professionals to effectively support the mental health and wellness of the seafarers they manage. Moreover, the shared insights of various maritime leaders from AMOSUP, DMW, MARINA, Synergy Group, and PTC emphasized the need for a collaborative effort within the maritime sector, which highlighted the growing recognition of Marine HR’s role in promoting mental wellness at sea.
The workshop also consisted of group activities which focused on identifying struggles and the coping mechanisms they apply to it – in which some found it easy to recognize the problem and its solution, but mostly had a hard time figuring it all out. These scenarios emphasized that not everyone is aware of or willing to acknowledge their struggles, potentially being denial. This demonstrates that both struggles and coping mechanisms are unique, necessitating varied interventions.
In the final activity, the participants paired up, with one person sharing a recent or significant struggle while the other listened and responded. The listener was asked to respond using their mind, heart, and gut feeling. This highlighted that there are three kinds of responses—cognitive (mind), emotional (heart), and intuitive (gut feeling)—each engaging different aspects of human cognition and emotion. Moreover, the activity revealed that each type of response has its strengths and is suited to different situations, whereas 1.) using the mind is crucial for complex, high-stakes decisions requiring detailed analysis; 2.) using the heart is important for maintaining relationships and making value-driven choices; and 3.) using the gut can be vital in situations requiring quick, decisive action where there isn’t time for extensive deliberation. Balancing all three can lead to well-rounded and effective decision-making.
Team Senator’s dedication to provide quality and empathic approach and services to the crew they handle, as they uphold the importance of the human aspect in crewing, encouraged them to attend these kinds of workshops to further enhance their expertise in the matter.
