The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) have moved forward with plans to establish a maritime Regional Training Center (RTC) in Davao City after signing a memorandum of agreement on August 28, 2026. The agreement, signed by NMP Executive Director Victor A. Del Rosario and DAP Acting President and CEO Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian, covers the conduct of a feasibility study for the proposed facility.

The study will assess the project’s technical, financial, economic, institutional, social, environmental, and implementation requirements. The proposed RTC is intended to expand access to government-supported maritime training in Mindanao and complement the services of existing private Maritime Training Institutions. More than 72,000 seafarers from Mindanao were deployed internationally in 2025, while only seven accredited maritime training institutions were operating in the region as of April 2026.

DAP sa Mindanao will provide local support for the feasibility study, which is expected to be completed within 12 months. If the project is found viable, the findings will serve as the basis for seeking government funding and support for its implementation. The Mindanao Development Authority has also endorsed the initiative to the Office of the President, citing its potential contribution to maritime workforce development and employment opportunities.

Plans for an NMP facility in Davao date back to 2018. In 2021, NMP was identified as one of the government agencies to receive a 5,000-square-meter lot within the proposed Davao Regional Government Center, with the property formally granted in 2023. NMP, an agency under the Department of Migrant Workers, is the country’s only government-operated maritime training and research institution.