SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Fifteen employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently completed Customized Electrical Training Course courtesy of Gigamare, Inc., a firm that provides training for safe and efficient operations in maritime, offshore, oil & gas, energy, and mining sectors.

SBMA Human Resource Management Department manager Vivian Abalos said this was the second training course offered by Gigamare as part of its commitment to give skills enhancement training courses to SBMA employees free of charge.

The training was conducted at Gigamare’s training facility in the East Ilanin Forest of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Abalos said that last February, the first batch of SBMA employees underwent training on air-conditioning at the said facility. More employees are expected to take part in other various skills training courses, she added.

“Their training course would normally cost $1,100 per head. That is how much the agency saves with every employee we send to Gigamare for skills enhancement training. This includes shuttle services back and forth, meals during training, use of equipment and other materials related to the training,” Abalos explained.

During the first day of the five-day course, topics discussed were Electrical Safety and Basic Electrical Theory; electrical hazards; characteristics of matter; electrostatics, resistance and conductance; basic electric circuit; electricity and power; and resistor color coding.

For the second day, topics included introduction to direct and alternating currents; series direct current circuit; direct and alternating current and voltage; alternating current advantages; and installation of tube light circuit.

The trainees then took on meter basics; ammeters; voltmeter; ohmeters; multimeters; and installation of series/ parallel circuit/ 3-way switch on the third day.

For day four, DC and AC motors; principles of operation; motor loads; direction of rotation; practical direct current motors; basic alternating current motors; and construction and operation of AC and DC motors.

Day five topics included basic motor control; introduction motor; starters/ controllers; symbols and diagrams; control circuits; motor starting methods; configure the power and control circuit of full voltage starter and reduced voltage starter; wiring the power circuit and control circuit of full voltage starter; and wiring the power circuit and control circuit of reduced voltage starter.

Gigamare, Inc. has committed to provide skills training to SBMA employees every quarter as part of its corporate social responsibility program.

The firm was established in 2013 when it acquired Wärtsilä Corporation’s training infrastructure in Subic and continued the company’s operations in the Philippines.

Gigamare’s mission is to provide innovative and high-quality products and services leading to safe and efficient operations for maritime, offshore, oil and gas, energy, and mining segments.

The company offers environmental and economic training solutions for an improved human factor aided by performance gap analysis. Its unique hands-on academy offers close to real-life experience on operating, repairing, and maintaining equipment and shipboard simulators. 