Stakeholders laud Marina effort in ‘White List’

Stakeholders laud Marina effort in ‘White List’
RAFFY AYENG May 15, 2019 https://www.manilatimes.net/stakeholders-laud-marina-effort-in-white-lis...

Maritime stakeholders, particularly manning agencies, lauded the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for its continuing efforts to maintain the country’s reputation as the leading provider of maritime professionals and securing our spot in the International Maritime Organization’s”(IMO) White List”.

In an interview, RADM Adonis Donato, chairman of OSM Maritime Services Inc., one of the biggest agencies in the country and a leading provider of full service solutions to maritime and offshore enterprises, said that he was seeing “earnest” efforts done by Marina’s OIC-Administrator Narciso Vingzon Jr., to secure that the Philippines position in the current IMO White List.

Donato pointed out, “Since we are an IMO member, it is our duty to attend if we are summoned. We have to show them we are very much involved in asserting our position in the White List. Mabuti ang ginawa nila in going there in full force to tell IMO that the industry is united in addressing this concern”.

For her part, OSM President Mailyn Borillo maintained that Admiral Vingzon should continue seeking good advice from competent persons from the maritime industry in order to redeem the glory of the industry and continue the efforts to ensure the country’s compliance with IMO standards to firmly secure the livelihood of thousands of Filipino seafarers.

Marina, through the Department of Transportation (DOTr), recently released a statement that it has “ asserted” its position in the revised “White List” of Parties to the STCW Convention prepared by the Secretariat of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), through an intervention during the 6th session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW6) held at the IMO Headquarters in London, United Kingdom from April 29 to May 3, 2019.
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Subsequently, Marina reiterated that during the sub-committee’s session the Philippine delegation, together with delegations from other parties of the STCW Convention, raised issues and questioned the IMO Secretariat regarding the sudden review and preparation of a draft revised White List, the procedures and the criteria for issuance of a revised list.

Vingson reiterated that no white list has been officially issued by the IMO excluding the Philippines, but added that “ to thresh the out issues and concerns, the creation of a ‘Working Group’ was agreed upon, so as to review the consistency of evaluation, and the competency of those who would review.
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For his part, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade welcomed the recent development, and challenged Marina to exert all the necessary efforts to prepare for the independent evaluation, which is part of the Philippines’ compliance as a Party to the STCW Convention.

“This is good news for our maritime industry and the entire country. May this be treated as a challenge so that the MARINA and other concerned agencies perform at their best to prepare accordingly for the Independent Evaluation. We need to make sure that we will exert all the necessary efforts, commitment and support to make this next mission successful,” Secretary Tugade said.