Marina’s training unit passes quality standard certification test

Marina’s training unit passes quality standard certification test
Myla Iglesias - March 11, 2024 https://malaya.com.ph/news_business/marinas-training-unit-passes-quality...

State-run Maritime Industry Authority’s (Marina) Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) office has been recommended for the continuance of certification to ISO 9001:2015 following its recent successful audit.

Marina said acquiring the continuous certification means that the Quality Standard System (QSS) of its STCW office has passed and met the requirements of the International ISO 9001:2015, a globally recognized quality standard currently followed by over a million organizations.

The certification for Marina’s head office as well as its regional offices in Region IV, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Davao Region was confirmed by the Bureau Veritas after the second surveillance audit from February 27 to March 1, 2024.

Marina, as the sole maritime administration responsible for implementing the 1978 International Convention on STCW for Seafarers, as amended, establishes policies and procedures through its STCW office for its stakeholders.

This includes provisions related to the training, certification and assessment system of Filipino seafarers, as required by the Regulation of the STCW Convention.

The goal is to ensure that the seafarers are well-educated, well-trained and equipped with knowledge and competencies aligned with both national and international standards, Marina said.

This approach aims to develop a globally competitive seafaring workforce, it added.

With this, the Marinahas assured the public that it will continue to integrate the development, promotion and regulation of the maritime industry in the country, providing safer people, safer ships and a cleaner environment.

In a related development, Sonia Malaluan, Marina administrator, noted the country’s continuing efforts to improve its policies and systems relative to the ongoing compliance with the STCW 1978, as amended, during a meeting held on March 7 in Brussels, Belgium.

She also presented the programs under the updated Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028 and her priority projects this 2024.

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) of the European Commission was pleased to note the progress and updates on STCW as well as the priority agenda of the agency, Marina said.

For its part, the DG MOVE has confirmed the status of the technical assistance that will be provided to the Philippines, starting from the fourth quarter of the year and running for three years or until 2027.

It should be noted that the MOVE-D covers the directorate’s functions relating to safety, maritime transport and logistics as well as ports and inland navigation, Marina said.

Also discussed were other areas of European Union and Philippine collaboration and support, in particular, initiatives on greenhouse gas reduction and the comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code, it added.