$4.36M EMSA assistance to boost seafarers' training

$4.36M EMSA assistance to boost seafarers' training
Genivi Verdejo July 5, 2023 https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/07/05/business/maritime/436m-emsa-assis...

THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and European Commission (EC) will use the €4 million ($4.36 million) technical assistance from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to improve seafarer education and training.

"The €4 million in technical assistance will be fully financed by the EU-Member States and supervised by the EC Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG-MOVE) and DG for International Partnerships (DG-INTPA)," Marina executive director Samuel Batalla said.

The assistance will cover the implementation of the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention and aspects of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006, specifically the recruitment and placement of Filipino seafarers.

The inclusion of MLC 2006 aims to expand the program and share best practices related to other international conventions concerning seafaring and the maritime industry.

Batalla said: "The European Commission will evaluate the country's implementation of the corrective actions addressing the grievances noted by the commission before the start of the technical assistance program in 2024, allowing the EC to identify the specific assistance needed by the Philippines."

"To effectively carry out the technical assistance, EC experts will be assisted by independent technical professionals with no conflict of interest in the country," Batalla added.

Maritime officials will discuss with their EC counterparts in Brussels the scope of work and aid utilization.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said EC provided technical assistance for Filipino seafarers' training to meet the STCW Convention requirements.