The Philippines is home to almost 114 million people and is made up of 7,641 islands. The population is comprised of different ethnic groups including Aetas, Moro and many more. I am a Tagalog and I am living on the island of Luzon, specifically, in Bacoor in the province of Cavite. I travel about 20.8 kilometers to get to my workplace in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, which has 14.7 million residents.

The National Capital Region, also known as NCR, is the most progressive region in the country. As per the 2022 statistics, it has a gross regional domestic product of 6.26 trillion Philippine pesos. I will not declare our country to be low in poverty but we Filipinos are very optimistic about the lives we have. Most of the time we have hardships but we tend to smile about it and face up to our problems right away. We pray to God for help and we also thank him for the blessings we receive every day.

The Philippines is called the “Pearl of the Orient.” We have been influenced by Christianity since the arrival of Magellan on March 16, 1521. He was the first European recorded to have landed in the Philippines and was executed by a local chief. By faith, most Filipinos are Christian and if you live in Manila, there is no way you have not yet visited the Manila Cathedral, which is located in Intramuros. This place has a long and action-packed history and is still very well preserved. Intramuros is extremely popular with tourists from different parts of the country and from overseas. The kalesa is a form of traditional transportation that is still practiced, and you can see it in Intramuros.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science with a major in financial accounting and I now have the privilege of working as a member of the accounting team at MOT-Barko Manila (MBM). MBM represents an estimated 1,130 seafarers. This number contributes greatly to the total number of Filipino seafarers in the country. MBM crews are comprised of quality seafarers with proper training. They can be considered world-class for the reason of allowance of Japanese shipowners, directors and supervisors to aboard Filipino seafarers.

MBM officers encourage us to lead our subordinates to develop the right mindset and motivations. We work for about eight hours plus a one-hour break and are considered full-time. Our workplace has good harmony because we understand and listen to each other’s opinions and we tend to brainstorm most of the time for better performance and results. We treat our colleagues like family and respect each other’s views. Despite our differences, we do not practice discrimination and we tend to adjust and cope with problems to come up with better and quicker solutions. As a member of the accounting staff at MBM, I always guarantee quality service for the company and for our crews as well. All expenses and income are properly audited to ensure that not a single peso is wasted. We are all dreamers at MBM: we dream of the best lives for ourselves, the company and for our hardworking seafarers and crews.