Demand for Filipino staff on super yachts rising – exec

Capt. Jead Advincula, Superyacht Academy in Asia and the Pacific Corp. (SAAP) CEO and president, (center) together with other SAAP officials shares the training center’s expansion plans during Wednesday’s press briefing. CDN photo/ Junjie Mendoza

Cebu-based training center eyes Luzon, Mindanao expansion

The increasing demand for more Filipinos as “staff” of super or mega yachts all over the world has also prompted a Cebu-based training center to expand to other parts of the country to address this need.

“The demand for this kind of work is increasing. Our goal is to have more Filipinos on board super yachts,” said Capt. Jead Advincula, president and chief executive officer of Superyacht Academy in Asia and the Pacific Corp. (SAAP).

Working on a yacht would be more demanding than other commercial boats and cruise ships, but the compensation would also be much higher, said Advincula in a press briefing during SAAP’s anniversary on Wednesday (July 19).

He said pay for those working as staff in a cruise ship would be between $600 and $1,000 a month while staff of a mega yacht or super yacht would earn not less than $2,000 a month.

Super yacht staff

He described super yacht staff as stewards or stewardesses and deck hands.

Stewards or stewardesses manage the hospitality side of the job which includes housekeeping and serving drinks or food.

Deck hands are those working on the technical side of the job like setting up the sail among others.

Pinoys in demand

Advincula also cited the reasons why Filipinos were in demand in the industry.

“Filipinos are starting to make names in this industry. They’re hardworking, keen, detailed, flexible, adaptable, and they tend to stay. That’s our advantage,” he said.

In comparison, he said that other yacht staff like those from European countries tend to work in shorter periods like one season or up to one to two years as they look at the job more as recreation.

On the other hand, Filipinos tend to stay longer as they see the job as a source of livelihood for their families.

SAAP

Aside from that, Advincula also described SAAP as the only yachting academy in the country that had been approved by International Yacht Training (IYT) Worldwide and had been recognized by the Maritime Coastguard Academy (MCA) of Great Britain.

As such, the training center has been able to give out licenses and certifications for their graduates that have been recognized by both the IYT and MCA in other parts of the world.

Courses, requirement

SAAP offers beginner courses, recreational and professional courses to both newbies and professional mariners in yachting.

Their only requirement is their students should be at least 18 years old.

Advincula said these kinds of training are not currently provided and regulated by the maritime industry in the Philippines.

“We are not under Tesda, Marina or Coast Guard. These are specialized training which have not been adopted in the Philippines yet. Our modules are from the MCA and IYT,” he added.

257 graduates

Since they started in 2017, SAAP has produced a total of 257 graduates.

Of this, 10 percent are foreign nationals who opted to study in Cebu due to the affordable course fees compared to other training centers in the world.

They also have a lot of trainees that come from Luzon.

Because of this, SAAP announced that they would be opening a branch in Metro Manila, specifically in Makati City, by August this year to cater to interested students in Luzon.

Advincula also said they hope to open another training center in Davao by next year.