Shaping global seafarer training rules

Shaping global seafarer training rules
Lorenz S. Marasigan October 8, 2026 https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/10/08/shaping-global-seafarer-trainin...

The Philippines will submit nine draft proposals to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in October that would reshape international rules on seafarer education, training, certification and welfare—including new protections against violence, sexual harassment and bullying at sea—as it positions itself to influence the most sweeping revision of global maritime training standards in decades.

The proposals, developed by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) through the Philippine Working Group and its Sub-Working Groups, were presented, deliberated on, and refined by industry stakeholders at the recent STCW Philippine Conference, ahead of their consideration at the 13th Session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 13) in February 2027.

The conference advanced discussions from the National Roundtable Discussion held in May 2026, which identified priority issues and generated initial technical inputs for the Philippine position.

It also served as a venue for national consultation and consensus-building, ensuring the proposals are technically sound, evidence-based, responsive to the maritime sector, and supported by relevant stakeholders before finalization and submission to the IMO.

Marina Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan said the Philippines, as a leading source of maritime professionals worldwide, cannot afford to take a passive role in the rule-making process.

“The Philippines cannot afford to simply adapt to standards set by others. As the world’s primary provider of qualified seafarers, we must actively lead in shaping them,” she said.

The Philippine proposals include simulator-based training as an alternative to some required seagoing service, standards for instructor qualifications, and alternative training methods that reflect evolving approaches to maritime education while preserving the competency standards required under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

The conference tackled draft proposals on consequential and associated amendments to STCW Chapter I arising from Chapters II and III; amendments to Chapter IV and related amendments to Chapter I; and the STCW Oversight and Verification Process, which participants examined in recognition of the importance of effective mechanisms to ensure consistent implementation of the convention and code.

Other proposals seek to standardize the language used in the Methods for Demonstrating Competence to promote consistency and clarity in how competency requirements are applied and assessed.

They also call for updating terminology under Chapter IV to keep STCW provisions responsive to technological developments in the maritime industry. Participants also flagged remaining gaps under Chapter IV for which proposals have yet to be developed.

The Philippine Working Group is proposing measures addressing violence and harassment at sea — including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault — anchored on the nomination of a Support Contact Ashore, the responsibilities of shipping companies, and the development of national mechanisms for prevention and response to ensure seafarers work in a safe, respectful and supportive environment.

Filipino at the helm

The Philippine submissions feed into the IMO’s comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code, which the organization initiated in 2024 to ensure the framework continues to serve as a foundation for safe, sustainable and human-centered maritime operations.

The review is one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of the STCW Convention, with more than 400 gaps identified during the subcommittee’s 11th session. It goes beyond updating individual provisions to take a holistic look at whether the convention remains fit for purpose amid profound changes in the maritime sector.

For the sub-committee’s 12th session alone, more than 160 documents were submitted by member states and international organizations — a volume of input significantly greater than in previous reviews.

The sub-committee concluded the gap-identification phase of the review in February 2025 and agreed on a work plan that would work through chapters of the convention and code at each session, drafting new provisions and amendments as needed.

The country’s bid for influence is bolstered by its leadership of the very body conducting the review. In February, Philippine Maritime Attaché to the IMO Sharon De Chavez-Aledo was elected chair of the HTW Sub-Committee with 53 votes, prevailing over the United States’ candidate, Captain Cathleen Burns Mauro. Marina described the win as a landmark victory reinforcing the Philippines’ standing as one of the world’s leading maritime nations.

At the Manila conference, Aledo underscored the opportunity the position—and the country’s seafaring depth—presents.

“We can contribute not only as a beneficiary of international standards, but also as a partner in shaping those standards,” she said.

The 2026 Seafarer Workforce Report issued by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the International Chamber of Shipping ranked the country first among the world’s five largest seafarer-supplying nations, with 203,179 officers and 256,968 ratings.

Filipinos are also the leading nationality among STCW-certified seafarers serving aboard the world merchant fleet — meaning any change to global training and certification rules lands hardest, and first, on Filipino crews and the domestic training institutions that produce them.

Building on HTW 12 gains

The October submission builds on the delegation’s showing at HTW 12, held February 23 to 27 in London, where the Philippines advanced nine proposals focused on seafarer training standards, green shipping safety and fatigue regulations.

Eight of these were co-sponsored proposals under the comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code aimed at modernizing global standards on training, certification and watchkeeping, while the country also co-sponsored a paper supporting the development of safety and competency standards for ships using alternative fuels and emerging propulsion systems, and another seeking to strengthen fatigue regulations and provisions on seafarers’ hours of work and rest.

More than 200 papers were deliberated at HTW 12, with outcomes elevated to the IMO Maritime Safety Committee for further consideration.

Marina STCW Office Executive Director Samuel L. Batalla urged sustained engagement over the long haul of the review, which will run through multiple sub-committee sessions before the amended convention takes final form.

“Our work must continue, and we must persist in this endeavor until the amendments are completed in 2030,” he said.