By Priam F. Nepomuceno
MANILA, Sept. 7 (PNA) — The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is pleased to announce that it managed to resolve the queuing problem of Filipino seafarers, who are applying for seagoing documents, with the mobilization of 120 personnel from the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).
These individuals were tasked by MARINA administrator Maximo Mejia to help in the issuance of certificates of profiency (COPs) .
These are needed by Filipino seafarers for their overseas employment.
Mejia said that there is high need to mobilize these 120 STCW personnel as 70,000 seafarers are visiting MARINA monthly for their COPs requirements.
Eighty percent of these seafarers are in for renewals while the remaining 20 percent are first-time applicants.
“We have grouped our personnel into two shifts to address the queue problem at MARINA national office which has been nagging the agency and the applicants for some time”, he said.
Mejia added that during the first day of the two-shift schedules, which started Sept. 3, some 1,500 seafarer applicants were served.
The MARINA administrator also expressed satisfaction that they are relieved of the long queue and are able to cater to the needs of seafarer-applicants more effectively.
The first shift starts at 5:30 a.m. up to 2 p.m., and the second shift is from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays.
MARINA has already surpassed its target of 300,000 COPs to be issued for 2014, he said.
To date more than 450,000 COPs have already been issued.
The issuance of COPs under Regulation VI of the STCW Convention, as amended has also been devolved to MARINA’s regional offices in Cebu, Iloilo, Davao and Tacloban last month. (PNA)