Europe Could Ban Filipino Crews From Cargo Ships.
European regulators claim that Philippine maritime education doesn’t meet international standards, and is considering banning any ships, that are registered in European Union countries, from using sailors from the Philippines in their crews.
If the European Commission confirms this action, the European Union will no longer recognise any competency certifications issued in the Philippines.
Without a valid competency certificate, the sailor would not be able to work on any EU ships.
With a quarter (1 in 4) of all merchant vessel crew members around the world being from the Philippines, it could mean that hundreds of thousands of sailors could lose their jobs.
The Philippines currently receives about $6 billion per year, in overseas remittance income, from Filipinos that work on vessels registered in countries around the world. This income is therefore at risk in the future.
It is therefore important that the Philippine government makes immediate plans to upgrade their educational facilities, in this respect, to align with international standards.