Seamen’s groups hit PRC plan

Seven maritime and seamen organizations appealed to President Arroyo to stop the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from implementing the controversial Management Level Course (MLC), saying the proposed course will only hamper the advancement of Filipino seamen.

The PRC and the Maritime Training Council (MTC) will soon implement the MLC for Filipino ship officers to become eligible for one-rank higher promotion and be able to handle management level responsibilities.

The group said the local seafaring industry can survive without the MLC due to the current shortage of officers in the global shipping industry.

They also claimed that the people who proposed the implementation of the MLC are not seamen.

“So how are they sure that the MLC is needed by our seafarers?” asked Nelson Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Seafarers.

Ramirez said he had talked to foreign shipowners who said the Philippine government is making life difficult for the Filipino seamen who can be considered as the country’s modern heroes for remitting dollars to the country and help sustain the economy.

In a letter to President Arroyo, the group said the proposed MLC will only douse “cold water” to the Filipino seafarers’ dream of moving up in their ranks to fill up the vacuum for senior officers that the global shipping industry is currently experiencing.

It added that the MLC runs counter to one of the 10-point agenda of Mrs. Arroyo to create one million jobs every year for the Filipinos since most of “our seamen will lose their jobs if they do not take the MLC.”

The letter to the President was signed by Capt. Rodolfo Estampador, chairman of the Conference of Maritime Manning Agencies (Comma); Capt. Reynaldo Valeros, president of the Crewing Managers Association of the Philippines (CMAP), Capt. Nestor Vargas, vice president of the Seaman Party, Inc. (SPI); Capt. Leuel Osena, president of the Philippine Maritime Institute Alumni Association, Inc. (PMIAAI), Capt. Leorito Miranda, president of the Visayan Maritime Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (VMAAAI), Capt. Leonardo Saulog, director of the Integrated Marine Deck and Engineers Association, Inc. (IMDEOA); and Ramirez.   – Nestor Etolle