THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) remains part of the task force overseeing the country’s accreditation with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
In a statement on Thursday, DMW Secretary Susan V. Ople denied the assertion in a newspaper article (not BusinessMirror) that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. ordered the removal of the Marina from the task force.
“The President never ordered Marina to be removed as an implementing agency nor did I ever say this in any interview,” Ople said.
Likewise, she stressed DMW continues to support the actions taken by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Marina to address the deficiencies identified by the EMSA in the country’s implementation of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
Marina is an attached agency of DOTr in charge of maritime training and accreditation.
“The directive of the President was for various agencies led by the Department of Transportation to come up with a joint implementation plan to address the concerns raised by the European Maritime Safety Agency, or EMSA,” Ople said.
In the article, published last Thursday, Ople supposedly said Marcos decided to exclude the Marina from the group of agencies tasked to craft the implementation plan.
Among the cited agencies were DOTr, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and DMW.
Marcos expressed concern over the issue amid reports that around 50,000 Filipino seafarers employed by European ships may lose their jobs if the country fails to pass the assessment of EMSA.
In a hearing at the House of Representatives last week, the Marina disclosed that the country submitted its final report of compliance to the EMSA audit March.
It added the European Union is expected to decide by next year if the country has properly implemented the STCW or not.