PH determined to comply with EU standards for seafarers

About 50,000 Filipino seafarers working in European vessels are reportedly at risk of losing their jobs due to the Philippines’ repeated failure to hurdle the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) evaluation in the last 16 years. (Pexels photo)

MANILA – The national government will do “everything” to address deficiencies in local seafarer training and education to prevent job losses among Filipino seafarers deployed to work for European Union (EU) vessels, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Sunday.

Marcos assured that his administration will enhance its efforts to comply with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) standards after the EU flagged the Philippines for deficiencies in local seafarer training and education earlier this year.

“I think that we will [be] going to do everything that we can. We cannot leave it hanging like this,” he said in an interview with the reporters onboard a flight to Brussels, Belgium to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) Summit.

“This is our last chance so we have to really get it done. But again, the whole industry is working to make it happen,” he added.

Marcos said everybody in the industry “is working very hard for us to get that.”

He expressed confidence that once deficiencies are addressed, the Philippines would pass the international standards for seafarers’ training.

“Hindi tayo nakakatupad doon sa iba (We were not able to comply with the others). And the attitude in the past was just to put the documents… some documentary studies, and that was what I was telling them,” Marcos said.

“I think they’ve changed their approach now to the accreditation. And I think we’ll be all right,” added.

Marcos is expected to raise maritime cooperation and security in his meetings with EU officials during the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit.

About 50,000 Filipino seafarers working in European vessels are reportedly at risk of losing their jobs due to the Philippines’ repeated failure to hurdle the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) evaluation in the last 16 years.

The President earlier ordered a collective effort involving various government bodies to ensure that the country’s training initiatives and accreditation scheme for seafarers would pass the standards of the EU.

Government agencies tackling the Philippines’ EMSA compliance include the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

Last month, MARINA announced that it has submitted the needed rectification on deficiencies found by European assessors in its recent audit.

DOTr, CHED and MARINA earlier said the Marcos administration is also eyeing an executive order to address “grievances” of the EMSA.

The Philippines is a top source of certified seafarers in the world as it is estimated that there is one Filipino seafarer for every 4 to 5 crew members on board a vessel at any time.

Based on a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Philippines was the top provider of seafarers globally followed by Indonesia, China and India.