MARINA, CHED sign accord on maritime education

MARINA, CHED sign accord on maritime education
Merlina Hernando-Malipot July 18, 2018 https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/18/marina-ched-sign-accord-on-maritime-ed...

To ensure the competitiveness of Filipino seafarers all over the world, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) signed a joint circular for the two agencies to collaborate in the monitoring of maritime education programs in the country.

The Joint CHED-MARINA Memorandum Circular No. 1 or the “Guidelines on Joint CHED-MARINA Monitoring of Maritime Education Programs” signed last July 10, 2018, outlines four important areas that include qualifications and composition of the monitoring team; key areas of evaluation; conduct of monitoring and evaluation of findings; and reporting and appeal procedures.

CHED, in a statement said, that the signing “not only signifies greater collaboration” between the Commission and the MARINA, “but also pushes for the harmonization of guidelines while strengthening the roles of each agency, the creation of an outcomes-based monitoring instrument, among others.”

The joint guidelines were crafted to ensure Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs) operating Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE) programs remain compliant with the standards set by the International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), as well as with the policies and issuances of the two agencies. The guidelines are also part of the corrective measures being undertaken in compliance with the Assessment Report of the European Commission (EC) to the Philippines early this year and will be included in the final report to the EC on October 31, 2018.

Based on the 2017 International Chamber of Shipping, Filipino seafarers constitute close to 23% of the 1,647,500 seafarers in the world. Some 80,000 Filipino seafarers serve in European vessels.

CHED noted that the need for joint monitoring of maritime education programs has been sought for many years, however, “the joint guidelines were made possible under the new leadership of the two agencies.”

CHED Commissioner J. Prospero E. De Vera III, DPA was appointed by President Duterte as Officer-in-Charge on January 24, 2018, while former AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero was appointed MARINA Administrator on April 26, 2018.

The Joint Circular is a product of inter-agency collaboration, which is a hallmark of the governance style of the Duterte administration to address vital national concerns.

Meanwhile, the CHED plans to hold a Maritime Education Summit to bring stakeholders together to chart a common path and safeguard the Philippines’ place in the global maritime industry.