Shipowners prepare for ban on Filipino officers

INTERNATIONAL ship managers and shipowners are working on contingency measures in anticipation of a ban on Filipino officers by European Union-flagged vessels.

These precautions are being applied in the wake of reports circulating in Brussels and Manila that the Philippine's maritime training and certification system failed the latest European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) audit held last October.

One option being explored, which would allow the continued employment of Filipino officers notwithstanding the ban, is to immediately extend the validity of existing Certificates of Competency (CoCs) of Filipino officers. It is understood that the EU ban will not cover existing CoCs.