“Naka-sampa na.”
A video of a marine engineering student aboard a rescue boat amid floodwaters in Mandaluyong City drew attention on social media.
The clip featured Prince Khyle Palletero, a first-year marine engineering student from the city, who boarded a rescue boat to get through flooded streets on his way home on August 17.
“POV: First year pa lang, naka-sampa na,” text in the video reads, referring to Prince’s joke about getting early on-the-job (OJT) training as a marine engineering student.
The video uploader, Ruby Ann Palletero, told the Inquirer that she and her siblings were stranded in the flood while heading home.
With no public transportation available, they boarded a rescue boat provided by local responders. They then walked the rest of the way and arrived home after several hours.
The incident amused Filipinos who shared their thoughts in the comments section.
“‘Yan ang maganda, ‘di na kailangan ng backer [diyan] HAHAHAHA,” a social media user quipped, referring to a marine engineer applying for a job.
“Kaya in demand ang mga marino ng Pinas eh, freshmen pa lang, naglalayag na agad,” another joked.
“[Diyan] ka muna mag-OJT, ya,” a different Facebook user quipped, referring to Prince in the floodwaters.
A marine engineering course develops the competencies needed to operate and maintain the different types of machinery installed on marine vessels.
Apart from coursework, the program usually includes one year of onboard training, during which students board a marine vessel.
Meanwhile, several streets of Metro Manila recently turned into rivers after weeks of heavy rain inundated the capital region and other parts of Luzon due to the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) this month.
The persistent rain caused severe flooding, including in areas that do not normally experience such incidents.
ALSO READ: ‘First time’: Pinoys surprised by flooding reaching unusual levels in Metro Manila, nearby areas
