Western U boosts maritime academy

MANILA, Philippines - Western Union, a leader in money transfer services, has funded the refurbishment of the audio-visual system for the auditorium of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) which has advanced the teaching aids used for training seafarers seeking employers in the global maritime industry.

Western Union executives, led by Patricia Riingen, senior vice president, Pacific and Indochina, presented a multimedia learning pack to MAAP which includes a 50” TV, DVD player, speaker system and other visual aids to support the academy’s training programs. 

In addition, 20 fruit-bearing trees and 20 benches were donated to the campus to create a better study environment for cadets. These initiatives are in line with Western Union’s commitment to creating economic opportunities and enriching the lives of Filipinos overseas and in the Philippines. “As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we welcome the opportunity to work with MAAP and support them to achieve their mission of developing successful maritime careers for their cadets as they strive to make a difference to their loved ones back home, and to make a difference to the world,” said Riigen.

“The turnover ceremony was marked by the world’s first “Western Union yes!” human parade formation by 400 MAAP cadets, headed by Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma. R. Santos AFP (Ret), president of MAAP, as their way of saying “yes!” to a brighter future.