The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will monitor maritime schools in a bid to ensure that the enhanced curriculum is implemented and that the institutions are furnished with the necessary equipment and facilities.
In a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, MARINA Administrator lawyer Hernani Fabia said the deficiencies identified by the EU are on monitoring, supervision and evaluation of manning training and assessment; examination and assessment of competence, programs and course design and approval; availability and use of training facilities and simulators; onboard training and issue revalidation and recognition of certification endorsements.
CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III said an enhanced curriculum has been put together by MARINA, CHED and maritime higher education institutions.
“We must make sure it is implemented correctly so the enhanced curriculum satisfies compliance with standards of the STCW (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers),” the CHED chief said.
“Number two, we must be able to monitor all the maritime schools not just in implementing the curriculum but making sure they have the equipment that is necessary, they have competent teachers, they have good facilities so that the intended competencies and outcomes can be measured correctly and satisfy the standards of EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency),” De Vera pointed out.
The instruments of monitoring and evaluation, according to De Vera, must satisfy the standards of the Philippines as well as of the EU.
The CHED chair further noted that the monitoring instrument has to be developed and improved.
In addition to the curriculum, the government will also ensure that onboard and or shipboard training is available.
“We must make sure that all the requirements to produce a good seafarer are there including onboard or shipboard training so that we make sure at the end of the whole process, we produce seafarers that are up to the standards – international standards,” De Vera said.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will likewise be tapped as a partner in monitoring and evaluating the maritime education institutions, which are located all over the country.
According to De Vera, CHED has already declared a five-year moratorium on new programs to be able to focus on the evaluation of the existing programs.
“Ibig sabihin, for the next five years starting when we declared it last year, we will not allow any new maritime programs to be opened so that we will be able to focus on evaluating the existing programs. Mahirap kasi kung wala kang moratorium, habang ini-evaluate mo iyong existing nag-i-evaluate ka din ng bago, parang walang katapusan iyan,” De Vera said. #
