EU may stop hiring Pinoy seafarers

MANILA, Philippines - European countries may stop hiring Filipino seafarers.

Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz reported that the European Commission’s Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has found deficiencies in the country’s maritime training education and certification system that could lead to ban in deployment of Filipino seafarers in European Union-flagged vessels.

However, Cruz noted that the concerned government agencies are already undertaking the necessary corrective measures to avert the possible ban in hiring of Filipino seamen.

Cruz noted that the Maritime Training Council, Professional Regulation Commission, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education have been working double time to undertake the corrective measures.

In fact, he expressed confidence that the country could complete the corrective measures and submit a report ahead of the August deadline given by EMSA. “We are fully confident that that we can address these deficiencies and submit a report before the end of August,” he said.

According to Cruz, EMSA inspectors came to the Philippines to check on the country’s compliance with the training education and certification system as provided under the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention.

As a party to the convention and having an agreement with European member states, Cruz said the Ph9ilippines’s training and certification system is subject to EMSA’s assessment.

During the assessment, Cruz said, EMSA found deficiencies relating to maritime administration, monitoring of maritime education and training institutions, requirements for seafarers’ certification, management level course among others.

But Cruz said the concerned agencies have already undertaken measures to ensure the continued improvement of the quality of education, training and competencies of Filipino seafarers.

With the submission of the report on the corrective measures, Cruz said, EU member states are likely to continue hiring of Filipino seafarers.

Based on government data, the country deploys about 80,000 seafarers to EU-flagged vessels annually.