Filipinos will still be allowed to work on European Union-flagged ships after the regional bloc extended its recognition of seafarers’ certificates issued by the Philippines.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport made the decision after taking into consideration the measures to address some deficiencies, including compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention).
In a statement on Friday, March 31, the EC said that “the Philippines has made serious efforts to comply with the requirements, in particular in key areas like the monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of training and assessment.”
“The Philippines provides a significant and valued part of the European and global shipping industry’s maritime workforce—with roughly 50,000 Filipino masters and officers currently working on EU-flagged ships,” said European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean.
Vălean said that the EC is willing to provide technical support to further improve the implementation and oversight of minimum education, training, and certification requirements, as well as living and working conditions.
“In the coming months, the Commission intends to provide the Philippines with technical assistance to further improve its education, training and certification system for seafarers, as was also discussed between President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, in the margins of the EU-ASEAN summit last December,” the EC said.
Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said they look forward to the start of technical cooperation between the Philippines and EC in professionalizing and further improving the skills of Filipino seafarers.
“A crisis of monumental proportions” has been prevented, Ople added, thanks to the EC’s decision.
On behalf of the EC, the European Maritime Safety Agency conducted an inspection of the Philippines’ maritime education, training, and certification system between February 24 and March 12, 2020.
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The EC had identified a number of serious deficiencies in the Philippines’ STCW system in areas such as monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of training and assessment; examination and assessment of competence; program and course design and approval; availability and use of training facilities and simulators; on-board training; and the issue, revalidation, and registration of certificates and endorsements.
In December 2021, the EC informed the Philippines that recognition of their seafarer certificates would be withdrawn unless serious measures were implemented.
On March 8, 2022, the Philippines responded to this assessment with information on the steps taken, referring to the six key areas.
