Marina to assume Tesda function

MANILA, Philippines - The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) will assume from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) the function of issuing certificates for deck and engine ratings consistent with its newly-formulated National Quality Standards Systems (NQSS) starting July 1, 2013.

The transfer of the function was provided in a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by MARINA and the TESDA last March 18, to prepare MARINA for the coming make-or-break audit of the European Commission’s European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) on April 15 to 19 that will decide if the EC will push through with its impending ban on Filipino seamen crewing European Union-registered sea vessels.

In the MOA signed by MARINA officer-in-charge administrator, Nicasio “Nic” Conti and TESDA director general, Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, MARINA will continue to allow TESDA to issue the STCW (1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) certificates for deck and engine ratings “until such functions have been assumed by MARINA starting July 1, 2013.”

The EMSA audit on April 15 to 19, will look for “hard evidence” on the full implementation of Executive Order 75 signed by President Aquino on April 30, 2012. that designates MARINA as the single administrative agency responsible for the Philippines’ compliance with the STCW.

MARINA expressed confidence on its readiness for the coming make-or-break audit of EMSA after signing MOAs with various agencies involved in the regulation of maritime education and training institutions (METIs) which agreed to align their evaluation standards used to assess the quality of maritime education and training with MARINA’s NQSS.

The other agencies were identified as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), TESDA, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and the Department of Health (DOH).