Effect of Awareness of West Philippine Sea Tensions on Career Readiness among Maritime Students

Global maritime education faces a growing challenge of preparing future seafarers not only with technical competencies but also with the geopolitical awareness necessary to navigate an increasingly complex and contested maritime environment. This study examined the effect of awareness of tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on the career readiness of third-year maritime students at Capitol University. Employing a causal research design, the study involved a total of 88 third-year respondents selected through stratified random sampling. Adapted research instruments were used and subjected to expert validation. Data were collected through face-to-face administration and analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis. Results revealed that the levels of awareness of WPS tensions and career readiness are both rated as very high. Regression analysis further showed that awareness of WPS tensions has a significant effect on maritime students’ career readiness with safety mindset emerging as the only significant dimension. Hence, developing globally competitive seafarers requires maritime education to integrate geopolitical awareness alongside technical training, as understanding real-world maritime tensions strengthens students’ professional readiness for the demands of an increasingly complex global shipping industry.