Government reforms maritime education as EU ban looms

MANILA, Philippines — The government has implemented various reforms in maritime education in the country in a bid to avoid a looming ban on Filipino seafarers in the European Union (EU).

Officials of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recently approved the implementing rules and regulations for an executive order strengthening maritime education in the country.

The order, issued by President Duterte in September, recognizes the role of MARINA in ensuring compliance with the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers. 

It also identified the role of CHED, DOH and PCG in the administration of maritime education in the country, including the guidelines for evaluation of requests for approval programs that require compliance with the convention.

“CHED and MARINA agreed to jointly exercise supervision of maritime higher education institutions (MHEIs), with MARINA leading the review and inspection of requests for government authority as well as in monitoring and evaluating existing MHEIs,” CHED chairman J. Prospero De Vera III said.

“The policy of the Duterte administration for agencies to work together to solve problems made it possible for CHED and MARINA to sit down and harness their respective strengths. This IRR is the product of this governmental approach,” he added.

The executive order is part of the reforms instituted in maritime education in response to the possible ban on Filipino seafarers by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), an arm of the European Commission that ensures that countries involved in seafaring comply with EU policies on maritime safety.

Groups earlier warned that some 80,000 Filipino seafarers in the EU may lose jobs this year if the country fails to pass the audit of EMSA.

The Philippines had until Oct. 31 to submit its final report showing proof that the government had made corrective actions to issues flagged by the European agency, including supposed failure to comply with some provisions of the STCW.

“Rest assured that CHED will work closely with MARINA to ensure the implementation of the STCW Convention as amended so that the country remains in the white list of countries eligible to supply qualified and competent seafarers to the world seaborne trade,” De Vera said.