Revised maritime courses on

THE Maritime Training Council has revised and developed several maritime training courses which shall be pilot-tested for refinement and then approved before end of this year’s first quarter.

These include able seafarer deck training, able engine, security awareness training, security training for seafarers with designated security duties, advance training for oil tanker cargo operations, basic training for oil and chemical tanker cargo operations and electro-technical officer.

Course syllabus for operational use of electronic chart display, management level course for deck and engine officers, personal safety and social responsibility, training in passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity as well as degree courses for Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering (BSMT and BSMarE) have also been finalized and will likewise be submitted for Council approval.

These revisions are part of the requirements of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 2010 Manila Amendments, adopted during the International Maritime Organization's Diplomatic Conference held in the Philippines last June 2010.

The Amendments are aimed at establishing the new standards for the training of seafarers to enable them to adapt to advancements in the shipping industry, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz was quoted as saying.

“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 said Amendments by 2017," she added. “The STCW Convention and its associated Code entered into force last January 1, 2012 with a five-year transitional period until January 1, 2017.” (CGC)