EDITORIAL - Seafarers’ jobs at stake

There are about 500,000 Filipino seafarers on commercial vessels around the world, remitting approximately $5.8 billion in earnings annually. About 100,000 of those seafarers are deployed in European flag vessels. Their jobs – and remittances – could be jeopardized if the Philippines, one of the world’s largest sources of seafarers, fails to comply with training and certification standards set by the European Union.

An examiner from the European Maritime Safety Agency is arriving in the Philippines this April to start an audit of the country’s compliance with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping or STCW. The EU has reportedly expressed concern that the country may fail the audit, with the final judgment expected in January next year.

It isn’t the first time that concerns have been expressed over the Philippines’ compliance with the European STCW. Such concerns led to the shutdown of several maritime schools in the past years. This time, transportation and maritime industry officials have expressed confidence that the country can meet the seafarer standards, with improvements cited in the training of seafarers, in government processes as well as industry competitiveness.

The officials have cited measures to coordinate maritime education programs and foster cooperation among concerned government agencies such as the Philippine Coast Guard, the Commission on Higher Education and Department of Health. This is being done through an executive order issued by President Duterte to implement the 1978 International Convention on STCW. A so-called “Mismo” system – for the Marina Integrated Seafarer Management Online – makes it possible to obtain a seaman’s book and pay for certifications and assessments online.

The new rules and measures are good; the challenge is always in the proper implementation. EU states are among the biggest employers of Filipino seafarers. The country cannot afford to jeopardize those jobs.