MAJOR PLANS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) graces the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit, with House Speaker Martin Romualdez (left) and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, at The Manila Hotel on Feb. 28, 2023. He said the government will harness the knowledge and make use of the experience of Filipino seafarers to build an even stronger maritime industry. (PNA photo by Alfred Frias)
MANILA – The Joint Manning Group (JMG) has thanked the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for their efforts to address the country’s maritime sector issues.
In a statement on Sunday, the JMG welcomed the European Commission’s decision to continue to recognize Filipino Seafarers’ Certificates, which will ensure the stability of employment for Filipino seafarers.
The group was also grateful for changes being done to make the country compliant with the requirements of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and ensure continued recognition of certificates issued to Filipino seafarers.
“The manning industry, our seafarers, and their families express our deepest appreciation and thanks to His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Department of Migrant Workers for their unwavering support and personal efforts in engaging all the stakeholders of the maritime industry and the global shipping communities,” the JMG said.
Under Marcos’ directive, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have been working on institutionalizing the necessary changes cited by EMSA, which will be the basis of its decision to continue recognizing the certificates held by Filipino seafarers.
Marcos, in a meeting with European Shipowners associations in Brussels in December last year, directed the formation of a council composed of the European Community of Shipping Associations (ECSA), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), International Maritime Employers Council (IMEC), International Transport Federation (ITF) and JMG in representing the Manning Industry to provide input to the country’s quality systems.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport has extended its recognition of the Philippine government’s maritime education, training and certification for seafarers after taking note of the country’s actions in addressing some of its serious deficiencies.
Ople earlier said the European Commission’s decision is a testimony to the leadership and political will of President Marcos in ensuring the country’s compliance with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
She said the Commission’s decision “averted a crisis of monumental proportions”, adding that roughly 50,000 jobs of Filipino masters and officers aboard European vessels have been saved in light of the decision.
In a letter received on March 31, Director-General Henrik Hololei told MARINA Administrator Hernani Fabia that based on the response by Filipino authorities and on all available information, “the Commission has concluded that the measures taken demonstrate concrete progress and improvement as regards the compliance with the requirements of the STCW Convention.”
The EU official said the outcome of the analysis allows the EU to extend the recognition of the Republic of Philippines STCW system although there are still issues to be addressed. Moreover, they expect the Philippine government to continue improving in other areas of the system.
The JMG is an umbrella organization of five manning associations in the Philippines namely Filipino Association for Mariners’ Employment, Inc. (FAME), Philippine Japan Manning Consultative Council Inc. (PJMCC), Philippine Association of Manning Agencies and Ship Managers, Inc. (PAMAS), Filipino Shipowners Association (FSA), and International Maritime Association of the Philippines, Inc. (INTERMAP).
As the largest single nationality of seafarers serving the world’s shipping fleets, the JMG has been advocating the importance of building and continuously improving a trusted Philippine brand of seafarers and officers who reflect the highest standards of quality training, education and professionalism.
Critical top-level intervention
In a separate statement, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said Marcos’ "critical top-level intervention" with European shipowners in Brussels some months back "saved the day" for 50,000 Filipino seafarers.
The TUCP said the President's intervention has convinced the EC of the "genuine sincerity" of the Marcos administration to update and upgrade training standards needed in running and operating modern cargo and cruise ships as the commission decided to continue recognizing the certificates of seafarers issued by the Philippines.
"As the largest labor center in the country representing workers across different sectors nationwide, including the Associated Philippine Seafarers Union (APSU), the TUCP is proud to have closely worked with the Government and all our social partners in saving 50,000 decent jobs of Filipino seafarers aboard EU-flagged vessels. Through our joint efforts, we also averted the looming contagion effect with other ship-owning countries worldwide," House Deputy Speaker and TUCP President Raymond Democrito Mendoza said.
Mendoza said the government still needs to implement corrective actions, as he urged the MARINA to work "triple-time" to set up the long-needed reforms.
"Much needs to be done to sustain our meaningful progress, hence our work continues towards ultimately ensuring that Filipino seafarers remain the preferred hire in the global maritime industry," Mendoza said.
Mendoza said MARINA, in cooperation with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), CHED, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Finance (DOF), should immediately convene all stakeholders of the Philippine seafaring industry to address the issues raised by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) audit.
He also urged the government and all social partners to "crystalize ways forward for the welfare of Filipino seafarers and the future" of the Philippine seafaring industry through measures to ensure that Philippine-issued certificates of competency for seafarers remain unquestioned, and Filipino seafarers remain the preferred hire in the global maritime industry and a major source of dollar remittances to Filipino families.
He said the MARINA, DMW, DOTr and CHED should regularly meet to maintain the international standards of training that comply with international audits.
He stressed that training programs should not be unduly burdensome financially and time-wise to Filipino seafarers.
"Our battle call in TUCP—save jobs and save jobs—not only remains relevant but is further revitalized for the welfare of hundreds of thousands of our Filipino seafarers and their families who contribute billions of dollars to our economy as we build back better as one nation," he said.
In 2021, Filipino seafarers remitted a total of USD6.54 billion from USD6.353 billion in 2020, or an increase of 3 percent, making them a significant contributor to the country’s economy. (with reports from Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)
