I have been writing for the Maritime Review since the first quarter issue of 2021, but it is only lately that I attended a zoom meeting of the esteemed Maritime League. I attended the forum co-hosted with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA). Let me say that because I attended a Maritime Forum for the first time, my apprehensions of being an outsider who does not belong was diminished by the feeling of belongingness.
I am glad to know the 10-year program of our Maritime industry, though there are other interesting inputs that I think should be considered to be inserted by the authorities of the inter-agencies. Those are sea planes for travel and tourism, and food boats. Those are all good suggestions but let me focus on 3 controversial issues –the Internal Evaluators, the EMSA Audit, and maritime education and safety at sea.
Although I have written about Interagency cooperation, safety at sea, and maritime education, upon attending that meeting alone I submit that I have a lot to learn and understand.
In my observations on maritime education, I did mention the EMSA audit, but my thinking was more on shifting the focus on Maritime Seafaring to other courses instead, like Naval Architecture, Coastal Management, and other related courses for the Blue Economy.
Our Maritime Domain awareness focused more on maritime security. Thanks to the initiatives of many wonderful people, we refocus awareness on accepting that we are an archipelago and we must learn to protect, maintain, and manage its upkeep and the like. But we have long way to go.
The Importance of Roadmap
Any undertaking or decision making must have a direction and to that you must be guided by your mission and vision so you would not easily get distracted or lose sight of the goal. You will be guided by a roadmap.
MIDP, and the Maritime Voyage plan
As stated above, we already have the Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) and plans must be flexible and upgradeable because changes are bound to happen. In fact, the only thing permanent is change.
The next step is to have the maritime Voyage Plan patterned after the Strategic Sail Plan of the Philippine Navy.
The MARINA made public its 10-year MIDP, Strategic Voyage Plan 2022-2028, and the Philippine response to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) report.
Here is an excerpt to the article regarding MARINA’s Proof of Commitment:
“Today is a very significant day for the Maritime Industry Authority. What we are doing is to highlight the excellent service that we want to give for the maritime nation,” VADM Empedrad expressed.
Through the establishment of MIDP, the MARINA envisions to accelerate and expand domestic shipping services that renders the country’s economic environment more conducive for flourishing of businesses, influx of investments and facilitation of trade within the country; build modern and seaworthy ships through a globally competitive ship building, ship repair, and ship breaking industry; and promote and develop the Philippines as a human resource capital for ship management and other maritime services.
Meanwhile, the agency’s very own Voyage Plan outlines the 6-year organizational development strategy that focuses on accelerating the integrated and rational development of the maritime industry in the Philippines, and its dream of aggressively instituting good governance in its existing infrastructure and systems.
The Voyage Plan will be subjected to external auditors.
“I will always welcome third party audits because the outside auditors can see what we cannot see. Therefore, the Voyage Plan will be subjected for audit by the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA),” VADM Empedrad said.
As for the country’s response to the EMSA report, the MARINA shared its 200-page document titled, 2022 Philippine Response — Our Strategic Actions in Addressing the EMSA Audit.
“I believe, with all my heart, that the contents of the report substantially addressed the issues of EMSA. And it is not only addressing the issues EMSA but it is also raising the level of our compliance to the STCW,” VADM Empedrad emphasized.
It should be recalled that the MARINA was able to beat the 10-March-2022 deadline set by the European Commission (EC) for the submission of the Philippine corrective actions on maritime issues,” VADM Empedrad added.
Combined Roles of Marina, CHED, and DOH
To quote former Marina Administrator Narciso A Vingson Jr:
“We can best help our seafarers by ensuring that they are provided with IMO standards; Maritime Education by CHED; Maritime Training by MTI; and cleared as befit to work by DOH.”
As a result of public hearings on the proposed addendum and amendments to CMO 67 back in 2018, MARINA, CHED, and DOH signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Executive Order (EO) 63 or the “Further Strengthening the Authority of the Maritime Industry Authority as a Single Maritime Administration for the Purpose of Implementing the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention) for Seafarers, as amended,” to seal this new collaborative effort.
Prior to the signing of the IRR, CHED and MARINA already signed the Joint CHED-MARINA Memorandum Circular No. 1 on July 10. The said guidelines outline four important areas of collaboration: (1) qualifications and composition of the monitoring team; (2) key areas of evaluation; (3) conduct of monitoring and evaluation of findings; and (4) reporting and appeal procedures.
Onboard Training
MARINA has conducted public consultations for the guidelines of Cadets on Philippine Registered Ships.
Then MARINA set limits of cadets for shipboard training.
However, shipboard training maybe difficult to be accomplished by all who want to graduate.
Notwithstanding all the joint efforts of MARINA and CHED, some still are not able to go on board after graduation.
One of my suggestions to up their chances of going on board is to enrol in an institution with not just compliant, but with the highest standard. Then the National Maritime Polytechnic’s role of being the Government agency is to fill the gap or upgrade the education of the seafarers, which may no longer be necessary if only the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) will up their standards to the highest level.
Have the Navy and Coast Guard train and absorb the graduates who failed to board a ship.
The Coast Guard has courses for non-officers and the Philippine Navy has the Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command for officers.
I am sure they may be willing to have room for the mariners who failed to go on board.
The seafarers have chances to become Warrant officers or even commissioned or non-commissioned officers eventually but they may have to start with the Naval Rating ranks.”
Other Issues:
Schools of Thought on the Management Courses
One school of thought is that the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) is superfluous.
Another is that it is our commitment to comply with all requirements set by the auditors and evaluators.
Our commitment should be honoured wholeheartedly, and contending issues that may ensue among former and present maritime leaders can always be resolved by means of dialogue or cooperation, whenever and wherever possible.
The Issue of Ambulance Chasing
According to Dr. Conrado Oca, president of the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), many Filipino seafarers have been victimized by people or groups that persuaded them to make improper personal injury claims against their employers.
And, Dr. Oca said, this practice, also called ambulance chasing, has affected the international reputation of Filipino seafarers.
To address the issue, MARINA hosted a forum to forge a memorandum of understanding on ambulance chasing by formalizing the formation of a broad alliance in the combat against illegal practices that victimize Filipino seafarers.
At the forum, Dr. Oca said they have long tried to find a way to stop ambulance chasers, but they realized that the best solution is to inform seafarers about how they can properly address their grievances or issues with their employers through the appropriate agencies and authorities without the need to pay third parties excessive professional or consultation fees.
“We will always believe that tripartism—or the cooperation among employers, the government, and workers organization—is the best approach,” Dr. Oca said.
To protect seafarers, Dr. Oca said, they should be informed of their rights.