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The local maritime industry, despite its diversity in available talents and capabilities, still holds unspoken prejudices amongst its populace. Such partiality is commonly exhibited by old salts who came from a time when seafaring and shipping was only for the strongest of men armed with decades of experience.

In the olden days, it would take seamen almost half of their lifetime to be promoted to ship officer.

Emerson Reyes took it in less than four years.

Reyes is a 28-year-old Chief Mate who currently works ashore as a Crewing Manager for a Fair Shipping Corporation. He serves as the company’s human sieve for identifying and selecting the best seafarer and ship officers among the scores of applicants.

With all his youthful vigor and thirst for knowledge, however, Emerson Reyes still falls short in the eyes of some of the baby boomers in his profession.

“I get to deal with crew members twice my age, many of whom are old enough to be my father,” Reyes said. “There were some who would blatantly challenge or question me; others would say things behind my back. Sometimes, they would stare at me with eyes that seem to say ‘what’s in your young, unripe mind that we should follow you?’”

Reyes was unfazed. He was trained to withstand all sorts of struggles may it be physical or mental. He was a product of the prestigious Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) with higher education on Executive Maritime Management earned from the World Maritime University in Malmo Sweden.

He is sharp, keen, and confident as Millenials go.

But unlike other professionals of his age, Reyes never relied solely on his education nor the daunting reputation of his schools. He trudged on the path of challenges with the wisdom of the sea.

“You must gain their trust. That is the essential first step. When they come to ask why they should take instructions from someone younger, I draw their attention to the trust shared between us as seafarers,” he said.

Reyes understands the language of seafarers, even those that are not said with words. He came from a family of seamen that trace its sea journey two generations back. He grew up with stories of the high seas and was raised in the reality of a seafaring family. When his turn came to join the ranks, the profession was already advanced to allow crew members a speedy promotion with less licensure examinations and labor-intensive work.

The young Cavite?o benefited from a ‘career-pathing’ program of Fukujin Kisen Co., Ltd., principal of Fair Shipping Corporation, and was offered a shore-based position a year after he assumed management position onboard a ship.

Such move suited Reyes’ long-term career plans which are anchored not just on seafaring, but on shipping.

“The maritime industry is so much more than just seafaring. Filipino seafarers are also capable of ship owning, ship management, chartering, surveying, and shipping business. We deserve to be named more than just ‘the biggest supplier of seafarers in the world’. We could also be ‘the world’s biggest supplier of seafarers and shipping executives.’ We are capable of dominating the wider area of the maritime industry,” Reyes explained.

Beyond the wisdom and earnestness that seem to be past his age, Reyes is just another man, albeit more reserved.

“Having just a small circle of true friends keep me calm and at peace all the time. They know me to be a silent type of person,” he said.

Such character is reflected in his preferred sports such as swimming, road and trail biking and running.

“I used to join marathons, ultras, and triathlons before the pandemic hit. I just had to stop to protect my family. During my free time, I am a nanny to my first born,” he chided.

Reyes enjoys quality time with his family and their pet dogs – two huskies and three aspins.

(as published in Buhay Marino newspaper January 2023 edition)