The 80,000 Filipino seafarers in Europe are not losing their jobs, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) has assured Vice President Jejomar C. Binay.
The assurance was made by ECCP Vice President for External Affairs Henry Schumacher amid news reports that the European Union (EU) is poised to ban Filipino seafarers because of the Philippines' failure to comply with the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW).
Binay, Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers' Concerns, was alarmed by the reports prompting him to seek clarification from the ECCP.
He said Schumacher assured him that Filipino seafarers will continue working in EUflagged vessels.
"I am relieved to hear such reassurance that 80,000 of our seafarers in Europe are safe from the blacklist," Binay said in a statement on Monday.
The STCW Convention sets qualification standards for officers and personnel on seagoing merchant ships.
The Philippines failed to meet EU standards on maritime education, training and competency certificates, according to the results of the European Maritime Safely Agency (EMSA) audit conducted in April.
EMSA is scheduled to conduct a follow up inspection of the Philippine maritime schools in October and no recommendation or decision will be made until the result of the audit is known.
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) director of overseas shipping Arsenio Lingad has assured that the Philippines is ready to meet the EMSA requirements, according to Binay.
"It is crucial that we fulfill the requirements, knowing that the jobs of 80,000 of our seafarers in Europe as well as the rest of the 400,000 Filipino seamen in various foreignflagged vessels would be affected if we fail the upcoming EMSA audit," Binay said.
In June, Binay visited Hamburg, Germany, upon the invitation by Lloyd Shipping and assured EU ship owners employing Filipino seafarers of the Philippine government's commitment to fully adhere to the STCW requirements.
Filipino seafarers in Germany remitted US$244 million in 2012, which is "one good reason" for the Philippines to avoid the European Union ban on the hiring of Filipino seamen, Binay said.
Source: Manila Bulletin; News; 16 July 2013
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