CHRISTMAS SPIRIT GOES A LONG WAY IN HELPING OUT SENDONG VICTIMS.
 On December 16, one week before Christmas, Typhoon Sendong hit Mindanao and Southern Islands in the Visayas. Ten hours of terrential rain resulted in landlsides and flashfloods. As the area is uncommon to be hit by this kind of extreme weather the population in those areas were completely taken by surprise and utterly unprepared for the full vengeance of Sendong. As of today, the death toll of this tragedy has reached 1,500. Most of the casualties were asleep when raging floodwaters pounded their homes from rivers and cascaded from mountain slopes. A total of 5,151 persons have been reported injured while 737 are still missing. The typhoon has directly affected 308,053 persons (66,791 families). Upto this date many of the dislocated families live in temporary shelter.
 To help out, a fundraising effort was started in the offices of our Principals Seatrade and Triton and on board the fleet. In total an amount of $8,265 was raised and this amount was doubled by Seatrade to $16,530. Some ships donated direct to the Philippine Red Cross.
Luckily no fatalities were reported among our Seafarers and their direct families. However five families were affected by Sendong and sustained damage to property or were dislocated. They all received support from the funds raised while the balance has been donated to the Sendong Relief Effort of the Philippine Red Cross.
 Status upate from the Philippine Red Cross:
“Currently, there are more than 26,442 persons still living in evacuation centers, with 33,678 homes partially or totally damaged. PRC has maintained strict 24-hour monitoring of all situations in affected municipalities, with nearly 2,000 PRC staff and volunteers deployed in the field conducting detailed assessments along with relief operations, welfare and first aid services. To date, PRC has setup 27 welfare desks and provided psychosocial support to 4,967 persons and served hot meals to 6,156 persons. PRC has indulged in hygiene promotion activities for 7,630 persons and supplied 3,516,000 liters of water to the affected communities. PRC has provided food items for 123,325 persons, non-food items to 90,090 persons, and water to 87,900 families.
On behalf of the staff and volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross, we extend our sincerest gratitude to SEATRADE GRONINGEN BV and all contributors for your generous donation. As we transition from the rescue and relief phases in the aftermath of TS Sendong, we enter the most crucial phase of rehabilitation of the ravaged communities. Your support will go a long way towards rebuilding the lives of those who have been most affected so that they can restore their lives to normalcy and once again live with dignity.
At PRC, we strive to ensure that help is readily available when the need arises. We assure you that your contribution has enhanced the commitment we have in providing humanitarian services to the most vulnerable. You inspire us to perform our sworn duty in alleviating the suffering of those in need. When the world no longer watches, we do what must be done.”
ANA BANDRIL
Philippine Red Cross
Officer-In-Charge, Director for the Fund Generation Department
“Sendong destroyed my families house and their source of income.Thanks to the support given they are now rebuilding and restoring the area for their source of income. So from me and my family we give you our warm thanks for the help and assistance that you have given to us”
2nd Officer Perez (recipient)
And for Sendong…. she will never return to the Philippines as the national weather Bureau (PAGASA) has decided to take the name Sendong off the register of typhoon names……
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hosting this years party. See you all next Christmas! 
On December 10 Avior Principal Seatrade organized a workshop on the new "SEATRADE STANDARD". To highlight the importance Seatrade Management assigns to those standards the workshop was conducted by Seatrade MD Mr Mark Jansen, Crewing Manager Mr Kor Wormmeester assisted by management facilitator Mr Godo San Juan.
In order to revalidate its ISO 9001-2008 accreditation together with MLC-2006 accreditation, Avior was visited on Sept 12-14 by LR Auditor Edgar Leung (Lloyds Regester Hong Kong), Mr Pieter Borst, (DPA and QAM from Seatrade Holland). The purpose of this visit to perform a prelimenary assessment of the documentation and procedures in place in preperation of the real audit process that has to take place in Nov-Dec 2012. It is Avior's aim to have all accreditation within Q1/2013
On July 28, Seatrade held a one day seminar to explain the new Personal Development System (PDS) that is presently being developed for roll out on the fleet in 2012. The system combines the input of the normal evaluations with reports and results recorded in the Vessel Information System (VIS), the Claims Information System (CIS), audits, CBT's and Company KPI's. The PDS will become the platform where all information involving an Officer can be seen and accessed. This to serve as a tool in further develoment of the Officer and get a more balanced and objective judgement on the performance and potential of an Officers. The seminar was conducted by Capt Kor Wormmeester, Seatrade's Crewing Manager, and was attended by twenty four Senior Officer from Avior Marine INc and Career Shipmanagement Phil inc. 
According the Aviormarine's Training and Recruitment Manager Capt Pacaon "it is the good practical cooking training and hygiene that gives MIHCA graduates a good starting position to do well in this career path. With MLC-2006 putting more emphasis on good cooking and hygiene standards we felt that this field required some additional attention.