"Kayod Marino": Villanueva urges MARINA and CHED to go all-in to save jobs of more than 30K Filipino seafarers on EU vessels

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, returning from an official trip to France to meet with members of the French Parliament, said that the reputation and livelihoods of Filipino seafarers are at stake should the Philippines fail to comply with European qualifications of maritime education, training, and certification.

For this reason, Villanueva is seeking for the swift response from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure the country's compliance to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

"Our counterparts in France speak highly of the dedication and work ethic of Filipino seafarers working in European vessels. We need to uphold that sterling reputation by securing the qualifications of our seafarers under European Union (EU) standards," Villanueva said.

Villanueva noted that the most urgent concern is for the country to pass the evaluation by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) of the country's STCW compliance set in November. The country has not been able to pass EMSA audits since 2006, and failure to comply with the STCW would result in the revocation of the recognition of Filipino seafarers' qualifications.

"We assured in our meetings with members of the French Parliament that we are doing everything we can to maintain the EU qualifications of our Filipino seafarers. This is a promise not only to our European partners, but also to our hardworking Filipino seafarers and their families," Villanueva said.

Villanueva has previously called on MARINA and CHED to rectify the adverse findings of the 2020 EMSA audit of the country's SCTW compliance, to which MARINA was given a deadline last March to respond. According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), this is the final year of the Philippines to adopt corrective measures to fully comply with the international standard.

According to DMW, failure to comply with the SCTW standards would affect some 30,615 Filipino seafarers currently working on EU-flagged ships, based on the numbers from the EMSA Outlook for 2020. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data show that as of 2021, Filipino seafarers sent home a total of $6.54 billion (Php 378.96 billion).

"We need to find how we have been consistently failing the evaluations since 2006, and how MARINA and CHED can snap this losing streak. How did we let this go on for so long? Now, the entire industry and people's livelihoods are in danger," Villanueva said.

"MARINA and CHED, in coordination with agencies such as the DMW, should exert all efforts to help the industry and go full speed ahead to support the jobs of our Filipino seafarers," he added.

Villanueva also said that he will request MARINA and CHED to submit a report on the compliance status on the SCTW, with the recommended corrective measures based on the EMSA audit findings.

The EMSA audit in 2020 indicated that the Philippines has inconsistencies in competencies in the education and training programs leading to the issuing of officers' certificates, programs for teaching and examination methods, facilities and equipment, monitoring of inspections and evaluations of the schools, as well as concerns on the use of simulators and onboard training.

Villanueva is also seeking for the immediate passage of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers or Senate Bill No. 137 which enables agencies such as MARINA and CHED to ensure the country's compliance to international standards and conventions such as the STCW. The senator's bill also provides for the rights of Filipino seafarers, promotes women seafarers in the industry, and ensures the implementation of grievance mechanisms.

The proposed measure was able to reach second reading during the 18th Congress, with Villanueva as principal author and principal sponsor.

The Philippines is the largest seafarer-supplying country as of 2021 for both officers and ratings seafarers, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The other countries in the top five are Russia, Indonesia, China, and India.

Villanueva, sinabihan ang MARINA at CHED na mag-"Kayod Marino" para iligtas ang trabaho ng 30k na Filipino seafarers

Nakataya ang reputasyon at kabuhayan ng mga Filipino seafarers kung hindi makapag-comply ang Pilipinas sa European qualifications ng maritime education, training at sertipikasyon.

Ito ang sinabi ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva pagkabalik niya mula sa opisyal na biyahe mula sa France upang makipagkita sa mga miyembro ng French Parliament.

Kaya naman nanawagan si Villanueva ng agarang tugon mula sa Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) at Commission on Higher Education (CHED) upang siguraduhin ang pag-ayon ng bansa sa International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

"Mataas ang tingin ng ating mga French counterparts sa dedikasyon at sipag ng ating mga Filipino seafarers na nagtatrabaho sa mga bangkang Europeo. Kailangan nating panindigan ang reputasyong ito sa pamamagitan ng pagpasa sa kwalipikasyon ng ating mga seafarers sa European Union (EU) standards," sabi niya.

Sinabi rin ni Villanueva na pangunahing alalahanin ang pumasa sa ebalwasyon sa Nobyembre ng European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) para sa compliance ng bansa sa STCW.

Lumalabas na hindi pa rin nakakapasa ang bansa sa EMSA mula pa noong 2006, at ang patuloy na hindi pagpasa ay magreresulta sa pagbawi ng recognition ng mga kwalipikasyon ng Filipino seafarers.

"We assured in our meetings with members of the French Parliament that we are doing everything we can to maintain the EU qualifications of our Filipino seafarers. Pangako natin ito hindi lamang sa ating mga European partners, kundi sa mga masisipag nating Filipino seafarers at ang kanilang mga pamilya," sabi ni Villanueva.

Dati nang nanawagan ang senador sa MARINA at CHED upang itama ang mga kakulangan na napuna nsa 2020 EMSA audit ng SCTW compliance ng bansa, kung saan binigyan ang MARINA ng deadline noong Marso upang tumugon. Ayon sa Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), ngayong 2022 ang huling taon para magkaroon ng corrective measures para sa full compliance sa pandaigdigang pamantayan.

Ayon sa DMW, apektado ang may 30,615 na Filipino seafarers na nagtatrabaho sa mga EU-flagged ships, base sa mga numerong inulat sa EMSA Outlook for 2020. Base naman sa datos ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, nag-uwi ng $6.54 bilyon (Php 378.96 bilyon) ang mga Filipino seafarers noong 2021.

"We need to find how we have been consistently failing the evaluations since 2006, and how MARINA and CHED can snap this losing streak. Paano natin napabayaan ito nang ganitong katagal? Ngayon, nalalagay sa panganib ang buong industriya at mga kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan," sabi ni Villanueva.

"MARINA and CHED, in coordination with agencies such as the DMW, should exert all efforts to help the industry and go full speed ahead to support the jobs of our Filipino seafarers," aniya.

Humingi rin si Villanueva mula sa MARINA and CHED ng kanilang report tungkol sa compliance status ng bansa SCTW, kasama ang kanilang mga rekomendasyon kung paano iwawasto ang mga puna ng EMSA audit.

Ayon sa EMSA audit noong 2020, may mga kakulangan ang Pilipinas pagdating sa education at training programs tungo sa pag-issue ng mga officers' certificates, mga programa sa pagtuturo at examination methods, mga pasilidad at equipment, pagmomonitor ng inspections at ebalwasyon ng mga maritime schools, at may mga kwestyon din tungkol sa paggamit ng mga simulator at onboard training.

Isinusulong din ni Villanueva ang agarang pagpasa ng Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers o Senate Bill No. 137, na tumutulong sa mga ahensyang gaya ng MARINA and CHED upang masigurado ang pagsunod ng bansa sa mga pandaigdigang pamantayan gaya ng STCW. Kasama sa panukala ni Villanueva ang pagpapatibay ng mga karapatan ng mga Filipino seafarers, proteksyon ng kababaihang seafarers, at implementasyon ng grievance mechanism.

Umabot sa second reading ang panukalang batas noong ika-18 na Kongreso, kung saan si Villanueva ang principal author at principal sponsor.

Pinakamalaking supplier ng seafarers ang Pilipinas noong 2021 para sa officers at ratings seafarers, ayon sa United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Kasama ng Pilipinas sa top 5 ang Russia, Indonesia, China, and India.