THE Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association (PCSA) has called for a major overhaul of the country’s maritime governance structure urging the split of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) into two bodies, one focused on international shipping and another dedicated to domestic operations.
PCSA Chairman Lucio Lim argued that current policies are overly influenced by international conventions such as the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), which are “ill-suited” for domestic shipping.
“We believe it is high time that domestic shipping be governed independently, without being overshadowed by global standards meant for overseas operations,” Lim said in his opening remarks during the PCSA’s general membership meeting on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 at a hotel in North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.
“The direct application of these standards has only made compliance more expensive and burdensome for local operators,” he added.
Lim said the proposal mirrors the maritime governance structures of Japan and Australia, where separate agencies handle domestic and international operations. These countries do not apply the STCW’s regulation and policies to their domestic industry.
Lim said Senator Panfilo Lacson has expressed support for the initiative, along with several lawmakers from the Visayas region.
He also urged Marina to revise competency requirements for major and minor patrons, emphasizing experience over academic credentials to help ease the domestic manning shortage.
He argued that the current system weighs more on academic credentials over actual seafaring experience.
“We ask that Marina return to the old regime where experience is given more importance than education,” he said.
“Without competent officers, the manning crisis in domestic shipping will persist,” he added.
Competence vs. degree
The current rules require aspiring captains, even on ships below 2,500 gross tonnage, to have a four-year maritime degree, disqualifying experienced patrons (local ship captains) who rose through the ranks via alternative certification or vocational training.
“It’s anti-poor and it’s sad because in other parts of the globe, these policies are not imposed on their domestic shipping,” Lim said.
He explained that Marina’s policies were suited to train future mariners in international standards, which are not required at the domestic level.
Lim said these policies have led to a scarcity of qualified crew.
Ship owners shared that some of their vessels have been forced to delay or cancel trips due to the lack of licensed deck officers, prompting extreme measures such as flying in captains from other ports just to meet regulatory minimums.
The PCSA welcomed recent revisions in manning rules; but maintained that addressing officer competency is crucial for long-term industry stability.
The PCSA is the country’s largest shipping association, composed of Filipino ship owners who operate more than 700 ships, serving thousands of passengers and transporting cargo nationwide. (EHP)