Philippines still needs to address six seafarer education, training deficiencies –DOTr By TED CORDERO,

While the European Commission (EC) decided to continue recognizing the certificates issued by the Philippines for Filipino seafarers, the Philippine government still has to work on the few remaining deficiencies flagged by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) concerning maritime workers’ training and education, an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Saturday. On Friday, the EC, the European Union’s executive arm, announced it would continue to recognize the certificates issued for seafarers by the Philippines, months after it warned Filipino maritime workers may be banned from its vessels following the country’s repeated failure to hurdle the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)’s evaluation in the past 16 years. The regional bloc cited the country’s “serious efforts to comply with the requirements, in particular in key areas like the monitoring, supervision and evaluation of training and assessment.” However, DOTr spokesperson Jonathan Gesmundo said the EC still notified the Philippines that not all deficiencies had been addressed. “Ang MARINA (Maritime Industry Authority) ay patuloy na titignan ang mga deficiencies at bibigyan nila ng lunas,” Gesmundo said during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. In December 2022, the EMSA notified the Philippines of some deficiencies, including serious ones, such as in the Philippine seafarers’ education, training, and certification system. In their findings, the commission said the Philippines failed to guarantee that the requirements of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) convention were met. Non-compliance with STCW, the EU warned, would bar Philippine seafarers from boarding European-flagged vessels. Gesmundo said the Philippines had six remaining deficiencies concerning seafarers’ training and education that need to be addressed. These were: Monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of training and assessment Examination and assessment of competence Program and course design and approval Availability and use of training facilities and simulators Onboard training Issuance revalidation and registration of certificates and endorsements Gesmundo explained that maritime workers’ training needs to be assessed if it complies with high quality standards. He also explained that maritime schools should have simulators for their students. For onboard training, the DOTr official said there should be enough ships solely for training purposes of seafarers. Gesmundo said there is no deadline yet on when the Philippines should fully address the remaining deficiencies, but said the government was working with the EC on the “next steps.” The regional bloc also offered the country technical support to “further improve the implementation and oversight of minimum education, training and certification requirements, as well as living and working conditions” of Filipino seafarers. Bautista said the decision would benefit almost 50,000 Filipino seafarers working in European vessels. Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said the EC decision averted a “crisis of monumental proportions.” The EMSA, on behalf of the EC, carried out a total of 13 inspections of the maritime education, training and certification system of the Philippines from 2006 to 2020. As provided for by the STCW Convention, the EC may conduct an evaluation of the STCW compliance of non-EU member countries prior to recognizing the certificate of their seafarers and allow them to work onboard EU-flagged vessels. — DVM, GMA Integrated News