FILIPINO VESSEL. Passengers board the passenger vessel/RoRo St. Michael Archangel in this undated photo. The Department of Transportation on Wednesday (May 22, 2024) announced the country’s inclusion in the International Maritime Organization White List, proving the status of the country’s seafarers in the international stage. (Photo courtesy of MARINA)
MANILA – The Philippines is included again in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) White List, signifying that seafarers trained and certified in the country meet rigorous standards set by the IMO Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention.
This came after the IMO Maritime Safety Committee said the country has fully complied with the relevant provisions of the STCW Convention.
In a statement on Wednesday, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the inclusion is aligned with the administration’s goal of establishing the country as the “Maritime Capital of the World.”
“Our goal is to entrench the position of the Philippines as the Maritime Capital of the World by continuously supplying the global maritime industry with high standards Filipino seafarers,” Bautista said.
He said the DOTr is “determined” to address challenges faced by the maritime industry to achieve such a reputation.
Last year, the Maritime Industry Authority submitted its report to the IMO with the goal of changing the country’s status of “conditional inclusion” in the White List.
The Philippines’ conditional inclusion was due to its incomplete submission of its compliance report to the IMO in 2017. (
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