SOPH Alert: EMSA audit report for Filipino seafarers ready next month @EMSA @Inquirer @Safety4Sea... Draft report will be released by mid-November assessing Philippines STCW compliance The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has raised concerns regarding the quality of maritime schools in the Philippines. According to Global Nation Inquirer, Filipino seafarers could soon lose their jobs in the European Union ships if Manila still fails to correct maritime education flaws A European Commission official said the blacklisting of Filipino seafarers from EU-flagged ships should have been implemented since last year but its imposition was deferred following an appeal from the Philippine government. The Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport has informed the Philippine Embassy that the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) draft report is expected by mid-November, The Business Mirror reports. The draft will be sent to the Philippine Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) for factual corrections and will be presented to the European Union (EU) member-states by early next year. The audit follows a video conference held between MARINA and EMSA, where the two agencies discussed the remaining issues pertaining to the Philippiness Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers compliance. The audit ill be the third since 2010, when EMSA threatened to ban Filipino seafarers from EU-flagged ships after the Philippines failed to act on recommendations from a previous STCW audit in 2006. The threatened ban would potentially put 100,000 Filipino seafarers out of work and leave European-flagged owners with a serious crew shortage. However, the Embassy here corrected that impression, saying the ban would only apply to ranking Filipino officials of their respective vessels, whose number constitute only about 20 percent of over 100,000 seafarers. If the Philippines fails the audit, the licenses of these ship captains and officers would be decertified, meaning their licenses would be revoked. However, since their current licenses are effective until the end of the year, the decertification would not become immediately enforceable, Embassy sources said. The Philippines is one of the worlds biggest suppliers of seafarers. There are about 100,000 Filipino seamen onboard ships from the 28-member EU. In March 2010 the EU also banned all Philippine air carriers from flying into the European airspace, citing safety concerns, but lifted the ban this year, three years after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines had addressed various safety concerns.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 03:43:03 +0000
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