No one wants it to happen, and few believe that it will. But what if the European Commission decides to withdraw recognition of Philippine crew certificates? Clearly, a de facto EU ban on Filipino seafarers will be bad for the country. What is not so clear is the potential short-term impact. The Philippine authorities say 80,000 Filipino shipboard jobs would be lost, a statement that has been swallowed hook, line and sinker by the local and international press.
That figure is exaggerated. It just goes to show that some people have been opening their mouths without knowing whereof they speak. Three points are worth noting:
1. Any EU ban will only affect Filipino officers, not ratings. Hotel personnel on EU-flagged cruise or passenger vessels will not be covered, only the officers.
2. If ever a ban is imposed, EU maritime administrations will no longer be able to issue endorsements of recognition to officers or to renew them. However, officers who have valid endorsements will still be able to work on board EU-registered vessels. An officer with a valid endorsement of recognition issued one day before an hypothetical ban can continue working on board an EU vessel for the next five years – depending on the validity of the original Certificate of Competency (CoC).
3. An EU ban, if any, is expected to last for only 2-3 years.
Although the actual numbers are not known, we have it on good authority that hardly 500 Filipino officers have their certificates endorsed by EU maritime administrations every year. This means that the number of seafarers who will be affected by a ban won’t be anywhere near the 80,000 being touted – perhaps not more than 2,000-3,000, according to one estimate. It could also mean that the European Commission may be a little more inclined to impose a ban if the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) still finds serious flaws in the Philippine maritime school system during their final audit in October.
On the other hand, the EU folks know only too well the wider repercussions of an EU ban. A major flag of registry could follow suit, as happened in the case of Georgia shortly after its certificates were derecognised in 2010. Surely, the European Commission wouldn’t want the world to lose confidence in the Philippine system and Filipino seafarers.
And yet, hasn’t that confidence already been eroded? And precisely because some state officials concerned and certain school owners have been goofing off? If the Filipinos are now having to swallow their pride and let outsiders inspect their schools in spite of the country being on the IMO ‘white list,’ it is their own making. Individuals as well as nations create their own heaven and their own hell.
UPDATE: Any EU ban will also not affect Filipino officers working on board EU fishing vessels. Fishing crews are covered separately by the IMO STCW-F Convention, which is not part of the issue.
What caught my fancy is the last paragraph, which is absolutely true.
We cannot blame anyone one else for the present situation but the agencies and people tasked with the proper implementation of the provisions of the STCW 78 Convention as amended in 1995 and 2010. Namely, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) as well as the schools and training centres which after all these years have failed to comply with the very clear provisions of the Convention.
Until now CHED has not come up with clear curricula for the two Bachelor Maritime Courses. I understand the Technical Panel has already submitted a complete recommendation but the Commissioners are still dragging their feet on the final approval of the same.
At the PRC, we have a supposed “WALK-IN” examination system which is still scheduled. Scuttlebutt has it that the slots for examiness are filled up for the next hree months. What happens to ship officers who are qualified to take the exams and have just come in from their foreign assignments? Wait for another three months?
At MARINA, they are still in the waiting stage for all of the stakeholders to completely prepare for the coming audit in October.
That’s outrageous. They do this and the merchant fleet will be berthed up. Bureaucratic idiocy has finally descended