Propeller Club of Manila

CSR Feature:  Propeller Club of Manila  By:
Rodolfo T. Azanza, Jr.
Head, PNBC CSR Working Group

As we look for inspiration out there in the space of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), our own member companies and individual members may find it quite stimulating and motivating to know that two of our own Board Directors in PNBC are active, card-bearing members of the Propeller Club of Manila (PCM). Moreover, some of our member companies like Wallem and Grieg Shipping had been corporate sponsors. They had been, and continue to be instrumental in changing the lives of many poor young Filipinos who aspire to join the ranks of those employed in ocean-going ships.

PCM as an entity was formerly a branch of the Propeller Club USA but now operates as an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the alleviation of poverty in the Philippines. It pursues its mission and vision by offering scholarships to youths from underprivileged families, providing skills and training for employment in the maritime industry.

It is noteworthy that PCM has around 100 members from all sectors of the Philippine shipping circle along with companies supporting the local maritime industry. PCM’s scholarship programme was started in the early 1990s, and since then never looked back. With increased funding from both corporate and individual members, to date it had been able to change for the better the lives of a total of 326 students who have graduated from the training programmes, with almost all of them now employed by shipping companies whose executives are members of the Club.

Starting off with its Ship Mechanic (Fitter/Machinist) course, PCM has expanded its scholarship programme in 2013 to include a Culinary and Kitchen Management course in partnership with the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM). Graduates of this course can be employed as cooks on board ocean-going vessels.

To date, the Propeller Club of Manila receives over 300 applicants from across the Philippines for each scholarship programme, but can only accept 25 at a time due to fund limitations. They are therefore open to additional sponsors and individual donors – no matter how small or large is the participation, as it all makes a positive difference in the lives of all future scholars of the Club.

With PCM President David Reynolds of Inter-Asia Marine Transport, Inc. at its helm, the Club is a great conduit for those who believe in the idea of giving back to the society or the host community where you operate. The PCM website is regularly updated thus one is able to keep track of the Club’s heart-warming scholarship activities.

To contact PCM, you may wish to email them at: propclub@propellermanila.org. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.propellermanila.org