The European Commission may decide this July on the question of banning Filipino seafarers from working on board EU-registered ships. Although it’s down to the wire for Manila, we’re not about to lose sleep over the matter. And it’s not because we believe, like the rest of the local crowd, that Filipino seafarers are indispensable to the world’s shipowners. We have better reasons for not worrying. (more…)
The EU threat to stop recognising STCW certificates issued by the Philippines could be the equivalent of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown in March – with possible dire consequences for Filipino seafarers and the local crewing sector. So why is the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) report, which gave rise to the threat, being treated as some kind of state secret in Manila? Outside of a limited circle, little was known of the report and the EU plan itself until Marine Café Blog put the whole thing in the glare of daylight (‘Fire alarm at the Filipino seafarer factory‘). (more…)
