Seafarers salute at the 23rd National Seafarers’ Day in Manila on Sept. 29, 2019. (File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), and maritime higher education institutions have crafted an enhanced curriculum to address deficiencies in the country’s maritime education and meet international standards.
“We must make sure it is implemented correctly so the enhanced curriculum satisfies compliance with standards of the STCW (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers),” CHEd Chair Prospero de Vera III said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday.
Pointing out that 15 maritime programs in the country have been shut down due to noncompliance with maritime standards, the CHEd said that it would not lift a five-year moratorium imposed in 2022 on opening new programs to allow the government to focus on existing ones.
“We closed down 15 maritime programs already,” De Vera said. “We’re very strict, the technical panel and our technical evaluators have gone through the programs and we have closed 15 over the past year and a half.”
Emsa standards
He added that the government must also monitor all maritime schools not just in implementing the curriculum but in making sure these have the necessary equipment and facilities, including competent teachers, to satisfy the standards of the European Maritime Safety Agency (Emsa).
The Philippines has failed to pass the Emsa evaluation in the last 16 years due to its deficiencies in local training and education.
In the same briefing, Marina Administrator Hernani Fabia said the deficiencies identified by the European Union were on the following:
- monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of manning training and assessment
- examination and assessment of competence, programs and course design, and approval
- availability and use of training facilities and simulators
- onboard training and issue revalidation
- recognition of certification endorsements