Baldoz says revision of courses for STCW Amendments in full swing

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz announced yesterday that the Maritime Training Council (MTC), an attached agency of the DOLE, has already developed and revised a number of maritime training courses as part of the requirements of the STCW 2010 Manila Amendments.

“The MTC, in cooperation with its member agencies and private maritime organizations, has already developed seven (7) out of the eleven (11) new courses that need to be developed under the Manila Amendments,” Baldoz said.

Among the newly developed courses include Able Deck, Able Engine, Security Awareness Training, Security Training for Seafarers with Designated Security Duties, Advanced Training for Oil Tanker Cargo Operations, Basic Training for Oil and Chemical Tanker Cargo Operations and Electro-Technical Officer. These courses shall be pilot-tested for refinement and will then be submitted for the Council’s approval by the first quarter of this year.

Moreover, Baldoz said the course syllabus for Operational Use of Electronic Chart Display (ECDIS), Management Level Course for Deck and Engine Officers, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, Training in Passenger Safety, Cargo Safety and Hull Integrity and degree courses for Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering (BSMT and BSMarE) have been finalized and will likewise be submitted for the Council’s approval in the first quarter.

“We are aiming for the earliest completion and approval of all the courses required under the STCW Manila Amendments so that our seafarers can already start taking these courses prior to the full implementation of the said Amendments by 2017," said Baldoz.

"We are likewise updating and revising our rules and instruments to strengthen our legal and administrative structures to respond to the provisions on education, training, certification, medical standards, and other requirements of the Manila Amendments,” the labor chief added.

The STCW Manila Amendments were adopted during the International Maritime Organization's Diplomatic Conference hosted by the Philippines in June 2010 here in Manila. The Amendments are aimed at establishing the new standards for the training of seafarers to enable them to adopt to advancements in the shipping industry.

The STCW Convention and its associated Code entered into force last 01 January 2012, with a five-year transitional period until 01 January 2017.