PH to meet EU standards on seafarers

Ople: Monumental crisis averted, 50,000 jobs saved

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

AFTER getting an extension of the Philippines’ maritime education, the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is prepared with its plans and programs to efficiently address the six deficiencies identified by the European Commission in the country’s maritime and seafaring sector.

The Department of Transportation said that although the European Commission has yet to set a deadline for meeting the EU level standards, the country’s Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) would be closely coordinating to address these deficiencies.

According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the European Commission’s decision to continue recognizing the Philippines’ training and certification will directly benefit more than 50,000 Filipino seafarers.

The EC’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport on March 31 extended its recognition of Philippine-issued seafarers certificates, saying Manila has made “serious efforts” to address deficiencies in monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of training and assessment.

It had identified six areas of deficiencies in the maritime education, training and certification for seafarers of the Philippine government.

These were in areas of 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 issue, revalidation and registration of certificates and endorsements.

START OF A LONG HOLY WEEK. Ahead of Palm Sunday today, Catholic devotees as well as local tourists visit the ‘Kamay Ni Hesus Healing Church Shrine’ -- a popular pilgrimage site located in the slopes of Mt. Banahaw in Barangay Tinamnan of Lucban, Quezon province. The 50-foot statue of the Ascending Jesus Christ was considered as one of the tallest among the country’s outdoor museums. Inset phoyo shows a ‘palaspas’ vendor at the Plaza Miranda in Quiapo. Manny Palmero and Diana B. Noche