AMOSUP seeks gov’t help to unburden seafarers from numerous requirements

Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) has asked government maritime agencies and training centers, as well as review firms, to unburden Filipino seafarers of heavy carriage, including huge expenses, in securing documents and other papers required in the practice of their profession as marine engineers, deck officers, ratings, as well as other service providers such as gaming and entertainment, hotel, food and beverage officers and staff.

AMOSUP President Dr. Conrado F. Oca called on Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and other concerned maritime agencies and groups not to give Filipino seafarers a hard time in securing documents or papers required for their embarkation to ships they are deployed.

Reports have it that seafarers from all over the country, the bigger bulk of them are from Visayas, Mindanao, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon, have been complaining of unbecoming and unprofessional conduct of many personnel at Marina Office for Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Wachkeeping (STCW).

“Most of the interviewers for applicants for issuance of certificates of competence, proficiency and endorsement, are obviously unprofessional and do not have knowledge or even background on seamanship or sea navigation,” the seafarers, notably ship captains and senior marine engineers, claimed.

At least two master mariners (ship captains) who have long shipboard experience, were surprised when they were interviewed by staff from the STCW Office, asking them clearly irrelevant questions. The interviewers were non-mariners and relatively new employees at Marina, they reported.

When the ship captains show how long they have been working with Marina-STCW Office, they were advised to come back some other time, and rescheduled the interview.