Where stands the Philippines before the EU in regard to its maritime education and training (MET) system? Stop wondering. Just read the two-page letter from the European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA) to its members dated 1st October 2012. We recently commented on the matter and have now made the document available in our Downloads section (see file “EU shipowners on Philippines situation”). The letter sums up the central issue and what ECSA thinks of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) checks scheduled for the first half of 2013. It’s time for Filipinos to cease jabbering and start acting on the problem. The future of seafarers is on the line.
We would love to read the letter, but it is password protected.
Just email us and you will be given the password: marinecafeblog@gmail.com
We would like to control the distribution of the document. Hence the password protection.
Thank you for the access. Well, the 2-page memorandum of ECSA is plain and straightforward. Simply put, if we can’t get our act together, they will find a manpower supply source that will, hard as it may be imagined. We are not the only source of qualified seafarers. Assessment, audits and verification of our MET is a doable task but it has to be done against a standard and not just with any wish list. This time around the administration must step up to the plate and make hard decisions (recommend to terminate, close down, cease operation and the like). If not, someone else will take up the slack. If memory serves us right, not too long ago, the Norwegian shipowners unilateraly blacklisted a training school (short-certificated courses)for reasons obvious to the shipowners. Without the principals’ endorsement, the school died out. Shall we wait until a repeat happens but on a larger scale?
Our pleasure to share the file. And thank you for finding time to comment.
You stated that MET audits should “be done against a standard and not just with any wish list.” To be more accurate, they should be done against a valid assessment document without which no “hard decisions” can be made by the authorities.
Hello. My name is Cory and I just happen to stumble in your blog. This particular piece got me and although I have very little knowledge about the maritime industry in our country (my brother graduated marine transportation and wants to become a seaman btw), suffice to say that from the comment, the EU is not going to get seafarers from the Philippines in the future if we do not meet their standards? Am I correct?
I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens because even though our seafarers are hardworking, they still lack technical training compared to others (because may be they have advanced machinery, equipment, etc) and really, I do not know who to blame (or is there any one to blame in this situation?) I just hope that the government will look into this and support our maritime industry and stop playing politics on small maritime schools (instead of favoring the bigger and more established ones). I think it’s time that we raise the bar for our maritime schools and training centers.
Thank you for your comment, Cory.
Maritime folks in Manila think that the European Commission’s threat to withdraw recognition of Filipino seafarer certificates is a bluff. That remains to be seen. However, from what we see, the EC is serious about its demand that the Philippines comply with the STCW standards. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) will be conducting further checks in 2013 to verify, amongst other things, that new training equipment allegedly purchased by certain schools has in fact been installed and is being used properly.