The Philippines and Norway signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates. The goal is to maintain a higher standard of safety, competence, and professionalism within the global maritime industry. It was signed by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) of the Philippines and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA).
The Philippine Embassy of Norway said the signing of the MOA should result in 25,000 more Filipino seafarer to be employed on Norwegian-flagged ships. Furthermore, the embassy underlined, that the MOA is an important step towards a closer cooperation between the Philippines and Norway in the maritime area.
More specifically the MOA called for the countries to adhere the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW) standards. Moreover, the agreement includes a mechanism of quality assurance, which would allow for periodic inspections of the facilities and the procedures.
Source: Philippine News Agency
