We’ve provided another perspective on the EU ‘threat’ to derecognize Filipino seafarer certificates in a new commentary published by SeaShipNews.com. The article entitled ‘EU carrot and no stick for the Philippines?’ can be read here. SeaShipNews covers Southeast Asian maritime and offshore developments. It’s part of Singapore-based Asia Shipping Media (ASM), a venture launched by Sam Chambers and Grant Rowles which also publishes the highly regarded SinoShip magazine. The two intrepid gentlemen are blowing fresh air into the world of maritime publishing and journalism. We’re happy to be their guest. ~Barista Uno
Great commentary! All these local, now internationalized, maritime, problems are a product of government apathy. Take a good look at the maritime regulating agencies; you’ll find one or two practising or trained or STCW qualified organic employees…the rest are from the industry they regulate, taken in as “consultants”. Some of these consultants give good recomendations, but they stay as recomendations. The good recommendations are thrown into the waste basket and the agency comes out with its own self-interest-based circulars.
Reading your comment, i see that the problem is not with our seafarers but with the Philippne maritime institutions. Please correct me if i’m wrong. Our seafarers are well qualified, over documented, over exploited locally. I believe it is time to look at other flag state countries to give proper documentation to our seafarers.
Thanks for weighing in, Nestor. In the eyes of the EMSA, the problem at this stage is not so much the Philippine maritime schools as the system of State supervision over them. I don’t think EMSA has ever indicated or suggested that Filipino seafarers are unqualified.
What exactly do you mean when you say ‘give proper documentaton to our seafarers’? EMSA has been conducting inspections in other non-EU crew supplying countries. If it seems that the Philippines is being put on the spot, it’s on account of its being the biggest crew supplier and EU concern over maritime safety. Unfortunately, EU confidence in the Philippines’ maritime schools and STCW administration has not been bolstered by the Rena incident in New Zealand involving a Filipino captain.
Thanks,i got your attention on this Barista! I believe the problem is not the seafarers, as you said, we are qualified and it has been proven long time ago until now. Then why does people always make the EMSA as the boogey man? Always telling the Philippines that EU might not get filipino seafarers anymore? If the problem is not the seafarers, what is the problem then? The Rena Incident is an isolated case,i believe. The way i understand it,(i stand corrected) the problem is the process of documenting the Filipino seafarers! If the Philippines Maritime institutions cannot properly document our well EXPERIENCED seafarers, they can opt to get other flag certificates’ c.o.c. with the blessing of the Owners.
Seafarer certification was the problem of Georgia. The problem of the Philippines involves education, in particular the lack of effective State supervision of the maritime schools.
The Rena may have been an isolated case, but the European Commission is worried that if it gives a thumbs up to the Philippines and a Rena-like accident involving a Filipino master occurs in European waters, it would face the anger of EU politicians. Why do you think the Commission is sending the EMSA team to the country for the fourth time in 2013?
The article written by Barista Uno is true but only 1 side of the cube. It did not show some sectors like the marina administrator himself with the help of industry members trying to solve emsa crisis. The fresh involvement of many seafarers themselves who now are in many ways awakened to the wrongdoings of training institutions etc and now speaking up and some volunteering pro-bono just to help. The article written sounds actually like daring EMSA to act on its promise which to me sounds like Barista Uno is throwing us to the dungeons prematurely and unarmed. Let us all act together. Let us not act for the benefit of the few only. Let us move for the good yes but let us wait until others are able to prepare. It is not easy to harmonize hundreds of schools and training centers etc. It takes time. The positive side of crab mentality is once one is up, it reaches its arms to others to pull others up too and out of the dungeon. Let us comply to emsa and to all other regulating bodies. Let us not ask for a boxing match until we are prepared.
Thank you.
Ricky Victoria
PMMA Class 82
Ricky,
Thanks very much for your candid comments. You seem to have validated the main point of our SeaShipNews.com guest blog with your last sentence ‘Let us not ask for a boxing match until we are prepared.’
And no, Barista Uno isn’t throwing anybody to the ‘dungeons’. Read all our previous blog posts about EMSA and Philippine MET and you’ll realise that we have been making suggestions to help the authorities concerned address the problems. We wouldn’t dare do so if we didn’t have information about the real situation and didn’t know what EMSA and the European Commission actually thought of the Philippines case.
Marine Café Blog was the first to publicly call for the abolition of the Maritime Training Council. We were to reiterate the proposal when we met in private with Nick Conti in his office months before MARINA administrator Emerson Lorenzo left his post and Mr Conti took over. Mr Conti would later shake our hands and thank us for the suggestion when he saw us at a social function soon after the Executive Order transferring the STCW functions to MARINA came out.
We weren’t at all surprised. Mr Conti is humble enough to listen and he has some discernment.