by Barista Uno | Feb 20, 2012 | Manning and Training
Fate must be kind to PMI Colleges. In late January a Quezon City court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) after the owners questioned the October 2011 closure order from the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education. This paves the way for a re-audit of the school’s facilities and the continuance of its maritime programmes in the meantime. The detractors of PMI may be shaking their heads. All this, though, boils down to due process. Besides, despite the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) findings on the school, we’ve thought all along that the CHED order was a political move meant to appease the gods of the EU. (more…)
by Barista Uno | Nov 28, 2011 | Manning and Training
Why is the EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency) report on the Philippines being treated like some State secret? The EMSA is right not to disclose its full contents. No physician, after all, goes around telling everyone what ails his patient (the report is really a diagnosis of what’s wrong with the Philippines’ maritime education, training and certification system). But the Philippine authorities are wrong not to make the document public. Doing so has deprived the MET and manning community of the chance to help cure the sickness and is utterly unfair to Filipino seafarers. So, in the interest of Truth if nothing else, we have decided to share the document with our readers. (more…)
by Barista Uno | Jun 17, 2011 | Manning and Training
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…)
