CHED commits to seafarers’ advisory council

The Commission on Higher Education on Thursday said they are ready to take part in the new advisory council created to address issues on the deployment of Filipino migrant seafarers.

This as the government continues to improve the country's maritime industry, aligning it to international standards following the European Maritime Safety Agency's assessment that the country is "non-compliant" with the European Union's Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping Requirements.

In an interview on Radyo Pilipinas, CHED Executive Director Atty. Cindy Jaro said that the Agency is ready to assist the Maritime Industry Authority in ensuring quality service from maritime higher educational institutions.

"We have started working on the revision of the curriculum. In the monitoring of maritime HEIs that has a big part in the education of our seafarers, we have started instructing them on what needs to be done to comply with our international standards," Jaro said.

Jaro further said that CHED's responsibility with MARINA is on the improvement of education.

Indeed, CHED has already made revisions to the curriculum for seafarers. Jaro said in a television interview last month that the curriculum is 'outcomes-based' which she said is in line with EMSA's standards.

President Bongbong Marcos ordered the creation of an advisory board during a dialogue with international maritime companies and shipowners in Brussels, Belgium, aiming to prevent the possible loss of jobs of 50,000 seafarers.