The head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has praised the Philippines for getting positive results in two international evaluations on the state of the country’s maritime sector.

(International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Kitack Lim / Courtesy of Maritime Industry Authority)

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim arrived in the country on Sunday, May 14, for an official working visit that is expected to further strengthen the partnership between the Philippine government and IMO in promoting safe, secure, and environmentally-sound sustainable shipping.

According to the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Lim was elated with the positive results obtained by the Philippines in the Independent Evaluation (IE) held in December 2022 and European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) Inspection during the 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Maritime Transport Working Group meeting in Da Nang City, Vietnam from May 9 to 11.

“During the IE, the Philippines was able to address its obligations under the Regulation I/8 and Section A-I/8 of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention,” the Marina reported on Monday, May 15.

On the other hand, the European Commission will continue the recognition of Philippine-issued STCW Certificates after passing the EMSA inspection. This ensures the employment of almost 50,000 Filipino marine officers onboard European-flagged vessels, the Marina added.

It can be recalled that the EMSA carried out a total of 13 inspections on the Philippines’ maritime education, training, and certification system from 2006 to 2020. In 2020, the EMSA pointed out the country’s repeated failure to hurdle their evaluation in the past 16 years, putting at risk the jobs of about 50,000 seafarers.

But after a careful evaluation of the country’s corrective actions to address the 2020 findings raised by EMSA, the European Commission (EC) concluded that the measures taken by the Philippines “demonstrate concrete progress and improvement as regards the compliance with the requirements of the STCW Convention.”

“I believe that this experience will work very positively for the future development, adaptation to the new challenges, including decarbonization,” Lim said.

Marina Deputy Administrator for Operations Nannette Villamor-Dinopol expressed gratitude to the IMO for its support to the country during the IE and EMSA Inspection.

“These are only few of the initiatives granted to us by the IMO and we could not express enough appreciation to the organization for continuously supporting us with cooperation programs, projects, and trainings that significantly benefit and strengthen the Philippine maritime industry,” Dinopol said.

While in the country, Lim will visit various maritime entities including the Maritime Academy Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), the Marina, and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). 

He will also grace a regional conference spearheaded by the Marina in partnership with the IMO and the Danish Maritime Authority on May 16 to 17. The conference is entitled “Seizing Opportunities for Green Shipping in Asia and the Pacific”.

“The official visit of the IMO Secretary-General is of great importance to the Philippines as it underscores the country's commitment to the international maritime community. It provides an opportunity for the Philippines to showcase its capabilities as a significant player in the global maritime industry,” Marina said.