MARINA, CHED, PMMA, MHEIs revamp PH maritime education programs

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is planning to build a maritime industrial hub as part of its 10-year maritime industry development plan (MIDP).

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), together with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), and the maritime higher education institutions (MHEIs) across the country, revamped the Philippine maritime education programs through the National Consultation on the Joint CHED Memorandum - MARINA Circular on the Revised Policies, Standards, and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE) programs on 15 January 2019.

The participating government agencies and the private sector worked on the realignment of the Philippine maritime education policies and regulations with Executive Order No. 63 that mandated the MARINA as the single maritime administration in the full and effective implementation of the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention 1978, as amended.

MARINA Officer-in-Charge Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr emphasized that the Joint CHED Memorandum - MARINA Circular addresses the need for a more responsive policy to ensure the competitiveness of the Philippines’ BSMT and BSMarE graduates, based on international standards.

“Our commitment to the STCW Convention shall lead us to the full adoption and implementation of the STCW requirements in our maritime education and training system. As the country’s single maritime administration, it is our goal to implement a set of maritime education program standards and consolidate all academic and shipboard training requirements under a set of national policy, standards, and guidelines,” Vice Admiral Vingson said.

Vice Admiral Vingson also recognized the combined efforts of the MARINA, CHED, PMMA and MHEIs in defining the developmental goals and targets of the Philippine maritime education and training, as well as in raising awareness on the impact of the whole of government approach for sustainable development in the maritime landscape, most especially in the maritime workforce.