MARINA confident that Philippines will pass EMSA audit

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is confident that the 80,000 Filipino seafarers on board European Union flagged vessels will retain their jobs as they are already making necessary changes to pass the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) audit.

“We expect that EMSA will find the quality standard system that we adopted, hewing to Executive Order 75, satisfactory,” MARINA OIC Nicanor Conti said.

Conti also said that the audit will be done in two phases. The first was held last April while the second will be done this October.

“In the first phase, EMSA will check the system as introduced under Executive Order 75,” he said.

“The next audit will focus on the performance of the maritime schools and training centers,” Conti added.

MARINA is now the sole industry regulator under the EO 75 and they have already come up with a set of rules aligned with the standards of the STCW Convention.

“We (Marina) will be the one who will determine how the STCW Convention is implemented,” he said, adding that such function was previously relegated to a Maritime Training Council, which is composed of representatives from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Commission on Higher Education and Professional Regulation Commission.

“We have also hired and trained additional technical personnel to undertake the effective monitoring of maritime education and training institutions,” concludes Conti.