Marina, private sector boost maritime courses for more competitive seafarers

Marina, private sector boost maritime courses for more competitive seafarers
Lorenz S. Marasigan -January 17, 2019 https://businessmirror.com.ph/marina-private-sector-boost-maritime-cours...

The government and the private sector have realigned the Philippine maritime education programs with the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention 1978, after they noted a need for a “more responsive policy to ensure the competitiveness” of Filipino seafarers.

Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Officer in Charge Narciso Vingson Jr. said his office, together with the Commission on Higher Education, the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy and maritime higher education institutions across the country have adopted revised policies, standards, and guidelines for Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE) programs.

“As the country’s single maritime administration, it is our goal to implement a set of maritime education program standards and consolidate all academic and shipboard training requirements under a set of national policy, standards and guidelines,” he said.

Vingson explained that the revamping of the programs are in line with Executive Order 63 that mandates the Marina as the single maritime administration to fully implement the STCW Convention.

“Our commitment to the STCW Convention shall lead us to the full adoption and implementation of the STCW requirements in our maritime education and training system,” Vingson said.

The said revisions were adopted after a national public hearing, in which issues on specifications, standards of competence, assessment, conferment, curriculum, course specifications, required facilities, and equipment, research and extension, quality standards system, admission and retention, compliance of schools, and miscellaneous provisions, among others, were discussed.