A group of seafarers said yesterday that the Philippines will not be removed from the ‘’white list’’ of the Interntional Maritime Organization even if the Professional Regulation Commission fails to implement the controversial management level course.
In a press briefing, United Filipino Seafarers president Engr. Nelson Ramirez said shipowners from various parts of the world have always expressed their intention to hire Filipino seamen.
Earlier, on recommendation of the PRC, all Filipino operational level ship officers are required to take the MLC, but this was opposed by various sectors in the maritime industry.
But at the second public hearing on May 7, PRC chairperson Leonor Rosero presented to the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resource Development a new resolution stating that the MLC will be mandatory only to operational level officers who failed their licensure examinations for chief mate and second engineer twice.
PRC board members Captains Jaime Aquino and Mike Castro said the MLC was necessary to all Filipino operational level officers.
However, various sectors in the maritime industry said that the course is not needed since there are many schools that have produced world-class seafarers without it.
The UFS also criticized Commission on Higher Education director William Malitao for saying that the present maritime education curriculum is only good to bring a graduate up to operational level ship position. – Nestor Etolle