CHED-Marina MOA bars maritime schools from letting manning agencies to facilitate for a fee the training deployment of cadets on local ships

CoA blows whistle on De Vera’s CHEd
Edjen Oliquino 21 Dec 2024 https://tribune.net.ph/2024/12/20/coa-blows-whistle-on-de-veras-ched

Previously, this paper repeatedly sought his comment on the apparent violation by a maritime school and a manning agency of a CHEd memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Maritime Industry Authority.

That MoA barred maritime schools from allowing manning agencies to facilitate for a fee the training deployment of their cadet students on local ships.

The only response DAILY TRIBUNE received from the seemingly irked De Vera on the MoA issue was for the aggrieved parties to file a formal complaint.

“Where is the complaint letter? So why are you asking CHEd to comment if there is no complaint?” De Vera asked a reporter of this paper.

The MoA violation issue stemmed from Marine World Maritime Services being implicated in a maritime student’s complaint over the delay in the release of training certificates.

The complaint was raised in DAILY TRIBUNE’s digital show Usapang OFW.

Samuel Batalla, executive director of Marina’s Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, explained then that maritime schools should directly engage with shipping companies for student training, and not involve third-party manning agencies, especially for domestic voyages.

He emphasized that the only time manning agencies are allowed is for international voyages. The complaint arose after a cadet paid P35,000 for training provided by Starhorse Shipping Lines but faced delays in receiving his certificate.

Marine World Maritime Services, which allegedly handled the payment, threatened legal action against DAILY TRIBUNE when asked about the case. Batalla stressed that maritime schools should already include shipboard training fees in the tuition. Investigation of the company revealed it may not have been SEC-registered.

On the CoA report, CHEd was also called out for granting P7,500 to scholars whose General Weighted Average (GWA) fell below the required minimum, as well as awarding P15,000 to students whose scholarships were already terminated.

The audit team warned that this constitutes irregular expenditure.

Hence, the CoA ordered CHEd to refund the excessive payments made to the student beneficiaries as well as execute a sound internal control system in the processing of financial benefits of students to safeguard government funds against loss.

In response, CHEd informed auditors that there are now systems in place to mitigate or entirely eradicate the “human errors” or double payments, including the development of a separate system for the regular scholarships of CHEd MIMAROPA.

As for the double payment to student beneficiaries, the CHEd explained that one of the scholar’s grades was miscalculated by the previous education supervisor but he was already terminated from CSP in the second semester of Academic Year 2020-2021.

“Then he was assisted with TDP and received an amount of P7,500. It should be noted that TDP does not have a GWA requirement,” the CHEd told CoA.