Padmesh Prabhune
The Government of the Philippines and the European Union announced the launch of the Technical Assistance Project to improve seafarers’ training, education, and working conditions in the Philippines following its recent initiative of Magna Carta in September 2024. The joint training and certification project will continue until November 2027.
Over the next three years, the project will support the improvement of the training, certification, and well-being of Filipino seafarers so they can continue working internationally and under good labour conditions. The European Commission has allocated €4 million (US$4.2 million) as part of the larger EU_ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package with a total budget of €60 million (US$63 million) to strengthen ties between the EU and ASEAN.
“The European Commission is delighted to support this significant project, further strengthening the Philippines’ education, training, and certification system for seafarers, and demonstrating the solid partnership between the Philippines and the European Union,” said Fotini Ioannidou, Director for Waterborne Transport at the European Commission during a signing ceremony last week.
The project will not only bring mutual benefits to both the Philippines and the EU but also contribute positively to the global shipping industry, recognizing Filipino seafarers as a cornerstone of the maritime workforce worldwide.
“We hope to adopt European standards for our training and certification systems while benchmarking [the] best practices among our ASEAN neighbour countries,” said Jaime J. Bautista, Philippine Department of Transportation Secretary. With approximately 1.15 million seafarers, the Philippines is a leading supplier of maritime talent, providing approximately a quarter of the global seafaring workforce.
Marex Media