The Philippines could compromise P376.12 billion in annual average remittances from sea-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) if concerned agencies fail to address compliance issues pertaining to requirements under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention), particularly those identified by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
“We have been informed that around 40,000 to 50,000 of our Filipino seafarers working on European vessels are in danger of losing their certification by the EMSA because of the inability of the concerned Philippines agencies to implement reforms since the first assessment done in 2006,” KABAYAN Party-list Rep. Ron Salo said on Thursday, Oct. 27.
Salo chairs the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, which held a public hearing on the matter on Thursday morning. Stakeholders of the seafaring sector attended the online hearing.
“It is high time that we take compliance with the STCW Convention seriously, as this will ultimately cost the livelihood of thousands of our Filipino seafarers,” stressed the veteran lawmaker.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Assistant Secretary Jerome Pampolina, one of the resource persons during the hearing, said the cash remittances from all sea-based OFWs hit an annual average of P376.12 billion during a five-year period.
He said that aside from loss of jobs in seafaring and manning industries, this amount is also at risk should the country fail to meet the minimum global standards of maritime education, training, and certification.
Pampolina proposed the creation of a tripartite roadmap to boost Philippine competitiveness as the best source of maritime workers and officers.
As for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega assured the House panel that they have been closely coordinating with European Union (EU) member states to facilitate the discussion of STCW compliance with the EMSA.
The DFA committed to continue to use diplomatic tools to defend the country's STCW status.
“We always present to the EU how important and competent our seafarers are, and that it is a mutually beneficial matter for us to be certified. We also discuss this with the European maritime companies because they want to continue hiring Filipino seafarers," De Vega said.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), on the other hand, highlighted the solution of imposing of a five-year moratorium on the opening of new marine transportation and marine engineering programs and the institutionalization of national maritime admission examinations (NMAE), and the phasing out of non-compliant programs.
Salo requested the Philippine Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to present all the 23 EMSA findings and the compliance being undertaken by the concerned agencies of the government.
As a final note, Salo assured that his committee will help in ensuring the compliance with the STCW Convention, and in effect ensure the continuing employment of Filipino seafarers.
"Please be assured that our committee will exercise our power of oversight on this matter. This is important for each and everyone of us and we will definitely be present in those particular audits that will be conducted to ensure our compliance with all the conventions that the Philippines is a signatory to,” Salo concluded.
Some 20 percent of all OFWs are sea-based.