49,000 Pinoy seafarers to benefit from continued EU recognition —DOTr’s Bautista

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Saturday welcomed the European Union’s (EU) decision to continue recognizing the certificates issued by the Philippines for Filipino seafarers.

“I have personally reported to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that more than 49,000 Filipino marine officers and their families here in the Philippines stand to gain from this decision,” Bautista said in a statement.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, on Friday announced that it will continue to recognize the certificates issued for seafarers by the Philippines, months after it warned Filipino maritime workers may be banned from its vessels following the country’s repeated failure to hurdle the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)’s evaluation in the past 16 years. 

The regional bloc cited the country’s “serious efforts to comply with the requirements, in particular in key areas like the monitoring, supervision and evaluation of training and assessment.”

“We are deeply elated by this decision, confirming we have adequately addressed many of the findings of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA),” Bautista said.

In December 2022, the EMSA notified the Philippines of some deficiencies, including serious ones, such as in the Philippine seafarers’ education, training, and certification system.

In their findings, the commission said the Philippines failed to guarantee that the requirements of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) convention were met. Non-compliance with STCW, the EU warned, would bar Philippine seafarers from boarding European-flagged vessels.

“Our Maritime Industry Authority or MARINA worked relentlessly, together with other stakeholders, to address those findings in the final inspection report of EMSA of March 2021 as well as EC’s assessment report of December 2021,” the Transportation chief said.

“As the EC lauded our cooperation and welcomed our efforts at improving the Philippine system of training and certifying Filipino seafarers, we commit to address the remaining areas identified by EC that require further improvement,” Bautista added.

The regional bloc also offered the country technical support to “further improve the implementation and oversight of minimum education, training and certification requirements, as well as living and working conditions” of Filipino seafarers.

“We certainly most welcome EC’s offer of technical support to further improve the implementation and oversight of minimum education, training and certification requirements, as well as living and working conditions,” Bautista said.

The Transportation chief said the agency will comply with the President “to go beyond the minimum expected by international maritime authorities.”

“This milestone development in the Philippine maritime industry augurs well for the future of Filipino seafarers who comprise the world’s largest maritime labor,” he said.

“Rest assured we will not waver in our efforts to raise the level of expertise of our seamen to international standards,” he added.

MARINA, likewise, welcomed the EC decision as it ensures the employment of almost 50,000 Filipino marine officers onboard European-flagged vessels.

MARINA Administrator Atty. Hernani Fabia said that the “EC’s decision is a nod to the serious efforts taken by the country since the first EMSA inspection back in 2006.“

Fabia also expressed appreciation to the EU and all countries who continue to employ Filipino seafarers.

The EMSA, on behalf of the EC, carried out a total of 13 inspections of the maritime education, training and certification system of the  Philippines from 2006 to 2020.

As provided for by the STCW Convention, the EC may conduct an evaluation of the STCW compliance of non-EU member countries prior to recognizing the certificate of their seafarers and allow them to work onboard EU-flagged vessels. —KG, GMA Integrated News