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The New Simulator Center of the Philippines, Inc. (NEWSIM) braces itself for the new year 2012 and its challenges! Apparent challenges are: 1. STCW 2010 Manila Amendments The amendments to the STCW 78 as amended started to take effect 01 January 2012. The most convenient but proven dangerous way to interpret the implementation of the amendments is that we have 5 years anyway till 2017! After all the things that have been said and done, the Philippines was put to spotlight if not compromised in the European Community when the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) released its reports as a result of a five year period audit on the compliance (or non-compliance) of the Philippines as a member country to the IMO. We are looking forward that the Philippines as the manning capital of the world will NOT repeat history. 2. Interpretations of the STCW 2010 Manila Amendments In the Philippines, interpretations of any or all amendments to the STCW are as many as the government agencies and/or regulators, industry associations (official or unofficial), industry players, leaders of the seafaring community, and so on! For whatever wisdom, the message is crystal clear, we do not know for a fact who is in charge over the whole picture. Well for bits and pieces, yes we can identify some, however, a unified interpretation is still somewhere out there. Examples of challenging interpretations would be: - Basic Tanker Saffety versus General Tanker Familiarization - Advance Tanker Safety versus Specialized Tanker Courses - Electro-Technical Officer (education and training requirements) - Electro-Technical Rating (education and training requirements) - Able Seafarer Deck (education and training requirements) - Able Seafrer Engine (education and training requirements) - Basic Safety Training Refresher Course Of the above, nothing has been promulgated for smooth transition to eventual implementation. 3. PAMTCI - role as spring board for the STCW 2010 Manila Amendments Philippine Association of Maritime Training Centers, Inc. (PAMTCI) is a 40 member strong Maritime Training Centers of about 89 maritime training centers in the Philippines. The argument that it takes one to know one as in the Assessor must be equal or above than the Assessee should be applied. For maritime training regulations and its dynamics untill implementation, the PAMTCI must be involved. PAMTCI should start toning its voice in tune with the intent, spirit and letters of the STCW 2010 Manila Amendments. 4. Man-Machine Ratio The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as well as Maritime Training Council (MTC) implements classroom intake limitation. They also have a limit to numbers of students per group and groups per class for laboratory or paractical exercises. Man-Machine Ratio is never addressed. A typical example of this, a minimum requirement for Simulators in an institution is 1 Instructor Station and 2 Work Stations. This minimum became absolute regardless of the number of students or trainees. 5. Assessment The government without the training resources and physical facilities have taken over the assessment of competence of seafarers. Business has no conscience as they say, our business in NEWSIM has a little bit of conscience. -oOo-
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