Labor Dep’t Encourages Seafarers to Submit Business Proposals

Manila, Philippines – The Labor Department is putting up a P 500,000.00 cash reward for seafarers and their families who has the best business proposal.

DOLE’s project is a nationwide business plan competition which is held in partnership with the Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines (ISP). The competition, dubbed ‘From Seafarers to Entrepreneurs: The 2017 NRCO-ISP Business Plan Competition’ (Harnessing Seafarers’ Capacities for Business Enterprises Development) was launched in June.

"We encourage our seafarers and their families who were not able to join in the past years to submit their business proposals… This is definitely their chance to join the competition,” said DOLE NRCO Director Jeffrey Cortazar.

Cortazar said unlike in the past two years where only agri-business inclined proposals were accepted, this year’s competition would accept all start-up business plan proposals. The period of submission starts on June 14 and will last until September 8, 2017. The awarding ceremony is slated on November 10, 2017.

"This initiative is primarily designed to foster development of new businesses in the hometowns of seafarers and their families, thus contribute to the growth of jobs in their communities," added Cortazar.