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The Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration has set aside P50
million for the skills training and upgrading of Filipino seafarers
to help them cope with the rising demand for marine officers.
Mechanics of the program are still being
ironed out, including partner agencies for its implementation,
according to OWWA Administrator and concurrently designated Acting
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque.
“We want to give assurance to our global
employers that we have competent officers and that we are addressing
this shortage of officers,” Roque told reporters at the sidelines
of the signing of the memorandum of agreement with industry leaders
and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to establish
a maritime industry arbitration system.
Based on a recent study, the shipping industry
has a shortage of 10,000 marine and deck officers.
Roque said the government wants to keep the
country’s status in the global maritime industry as top supplier
of competent seafarers and officers. Other countries are
also supplying seafarers, such as China, Vietnam and Cambodia,
threatening the country’s status as preferred source of manpower
for ships.
The program aims to attract graduating
high-school students, graduates of other engineering courses and
seafarers across the country to upgrade their skills for better
employment prospects.
OWWA is assessing the situation and will
implement the program for at least five years to show that the
seafarers’ needs are being looked into, said Roque.
A “study now, pay later” plan is being
considered for the program, according to OWWA Deputy Administrator
Noriel Devanadera.
An interested student may initially avail of up
to P30,000 loan under the program to finance his studies.
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