 |
President Benigno S. Aquino III during the inauguration of
the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) Berth
6 at the Port of Manila. With the President was Secretary of
Transportation and Communications Manuel Roxas II.
Photo and caption downloaded from
|
PRESS
RELEASE
August
09, 2012
Office
of Secretary Mar Roxas
DOTC/MARINA
- PHILIPPINES TO REMAIN AS LEADING PROVIDER OF QUALIFIED AND COMPETENT
SEAFARERS WORLDWIDE
Manila,
Philippines -- Atty. Nicasio A. Conti, Officer-in-Charge of the Maritime Industry
Authority and spokesperson of the Department of Transportation and
Communications delivered a paper entitled ‘Maritime Workforce Innovation in the
Philippines’ at the 2nd day of the National Shipping Industry Conference held
at Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne, Australia from 6-8 August 2012.
Atty.
Conti joined Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization Koji
Sekimizu who delivered the key note address in the well-attended Natship12.
The
Conference is organized by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and
supported by Australia’s Department of Infrastructure and Transport, Australian
Shipowners’ Association and Australian Maritime Systems.
Current
initiatives spearheaded by MARINA and the DOTC under Secretary Mar Roxas to sustain
the competitiveness of the country’s workforce in the maritime industry in the
light of recent developments in the global maritime front was among the
highlights of Atty. Conti’s presentation.
“One out
every four seafarers in the international seaborne trade is a Filipino. That is why all our efforts are geared toward
ensuring that the Philippines will remain number one in providing qualified and
competent seafarers worldwide – and we are committed to remain number one.”
Atty. Conti said.
He also
elaborated to conference attendees representing large shipping companies in
Australia and other parts of the international maritime industry recent reforms
in the Philippine implementation of the Manila amendments to the International
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for
seafarers, the status of Philippine
efforts to ratify and implement the 2006 Maritime Labor Convention (MLC, 2006),
the ratification of the Seafarers Identity Document Convention and other
initiatives to enhance and promote the competitiveness of Filipino seafarers.
Among
the significant topics Atty. Conti stressed is the innovation in the adoption
and implementation of critical changes to promote efficiency in the over-all
performance of the maritime workforce. These changes include the enhancement of
existing human capacity and the re-engineering of the regulatory framework to
make it consistent with international practice pursuant to Executive Order No.
75 issued and signed by President Benigno Aquino in April 30, 2012, designating
DOTC through the MARINA as the single and central maritime administration for
STCW.
###
Note to
editors:
DOTC –
Department of Transportation and Communications
MARINA –
Maritime Industry AuthorityNATSHIP 12 – National Shipping Industry Conference
STCW – Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping