The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has submitted its proof of compliance with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), an official said Thursday.
“This is how confident, serious, and committed we are in dealing with the EMSA issue. Failure is not in our options,” MARINA Officer-In-Charge Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr. said in a statement.
He said the agency aims to close the gap in its noted areas of improvement in the country’s maritime education, training and certification system of Filipino seafarers.
MARINA transmitted before October 31 the remaining initiatives being pursued by the Philippines to address the findings noted in the European Commission Assessment Report on the country’s maritime education, training, and certification system conducted last March.
Among these are the amended legislations, inter-agency cooperation initiatives, and good governance measures on the administration of maritime education and training programs, assessment of seafarer competence, and the issuance of Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for seafarers (STCW) certificates.
A major part of these initiatives is the extensive review and revision of seven existing national legislations and the development of six training course packages, which are now ready for implementation.
MARINA has also collaborated with the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Health, and the Philippine Coast Guard in reviewing the existing policies, standards, and guidelines governing the Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering programs, as well as in evaluating the compliance of maritime higher educational institutions on the trainings and courses offered to aspiring Filipino mariners.
