OWWA MEMORANDUM OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 001, s. 2007, January 20, 2007

[ OWWA MEMORANDUM OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 001, s. 2007, January 20, 2007 ]

REVISIONS TO MOI 001, SERIES OF 2004, IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES FOR THE SEAFARERS UPGRADING PROGRAM

In the interest of the service and in view of the Secretariat’s policy to regularly improve and update the program to ensure competitive advantage of Filipino Seafarers in meeting International Maritime Organizations (IMO) competency standards through constant upgrading of their skills, the following policy changes on Seafarers Upgrading Program (SU) stipulated under item 3, provision B of MOI 003, series of 2004 shall be instituted:

I. Nature of Grant

The SUP shall be in the form of training assistance to Filipino seafarers with OWWA assuming their training costs in maritime training centers/institutions in the maximum amount of P7,500/course, inclusive of the meal and transportation allowances, in the case of scholars referred at National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) in Tacloban City.

II. Entitlement

All Filipino seafarers who are active OWWA members shall be entitled to avail of the program under the following scheme:

A single contribution shall entitle a seafarer to training assistance to a course of his choice;

Subsequent entitlements to the SUP benefit shall be allowed every after three (3) recorded payments of OWWA membership contributions.

III. Availment Period

Application for SUP may be filed within 90 days from date of the seafarers arrival in the Philippines for vacation or following the expiration of his employment contract (MOI No. 003, series of 2004); and

In case of seafarers who have not yet availed of the SUP benefit but have three (3) or more OWWA contributions, they shall be allowed to avail of the program even after the expiration of their last recorded OWWA membership provided that entitlement shall be availed of within five (5) years from his last employment as a seafarer (MOI No. 3, series 2004).

IV. Course Offerings

Subject to regular review upon consultation with Maritime industry and other concerned industry players and in order to ensure relevance to international maritime requirements, the following maritime courses, in addition to those to be identified later, shall be offered under the SUP:

• DECK COURSES

Cargo Handling and Care of Cargo

Deck Watchkeeping

Electronic Chart Display Information System

General Operator’s Course

Radar Navigation, Radar Plotting and Use of ARPA

Radar Simulator Course

Radio Electronics and Officer’s Course

Ship Simulator and Bridge Teamwork

Trim and Stability

• ENGINE COURSES

Auxiliary System

Control Engineering

Electrotechnology

Engine Room Simulator Course

Engine Watchkeeping

Marine Diesel Engineering

Marine Ref and Aircon

• SPECIALIZED AND SAFETY COURSES

Advanced Training in Fire Fighting

Crisis Management

Crowd Management

Dangerous Hazardous and Harmful Cargoes

General Tanker Familiarization

Lathe Machine Courses

Marine Pollution Annex I

Marine Pollution Annex II

Medical Care

Medical First Aid

Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boat

Shipboard Welding Course

Shore Based Fire Fighting

Specialized Training in Chemical Tanker

Specialized Training in Liquefied Gas Tanker

Specialized Training in Oil Tanker

• CULINARY, GALLERY AND STEWARD DEPARTMENT

Bread and Pastry Techniques

Catering Management

Galley and Provision Management

Messman/Housekeeping Course

Advanced Messman Course

Cold Kitchen

Comprehensive Bartending

Fine Dining

International Cooking

Japanese Cooking

Proper Nutrition for Ships’ Crew

Specialized Cooking/Specialty Cuisine (Arabian, British, Bulgarian, Chinese, Dutch, German, Greek, Indian, Korean, etc.)

Victualing

Waiter/Waitress Training

Advanced Baking

Basic Baking

Basic Cake Design

Basic Culinary (Basic Cooking)

Food Server and Bartender Basics

V. Admission Requirements

In order to qualify to the program, the applicant-seafarer must submit the following at any OWWA Regional Welfare Office (RWO) of his convenience:

Proof of OWWA membership/s (O.Rs./E-Card/Certification from OWWA-MPC, etc.);

Accomplished Applicant Form;

Seaman’s Identification and Record Book (SIRB);

Pre-Qualification and Admission Report issued by the concerned training center/institution;

1 x 1 photo (2 copies); and

Latest Community Tax Certificate.

VI. Training Center/Institution Qualifications

A. The Program shall be conducted in coordination with reputable training centers/ institutions that meet, at least, the minimum standards and requirements set forth by the local/international maritime authorities and by the maritime industry. Based on this context, the RWOs shall ensure that training centers/institutions must:

Have a valid training permit or recognition to offer specific courses issued by the MTC, TESDA, CHED, and other authorized government institutions;

Have no pending administrative case with MTC and any private or government institution;

Have no previous record/s of violation of MTC or any government standards;

Have the required/appropriate training curricula, facilities and equipment; and

Can accommodate OWWA scholars based on its training policy.

B. All government accredited and recognized training centers/institutions offering maritime related courses and meeting all the above criteria are qualified under this Program.

C. All RWOs shall prepare comprehensive lists of those identified training centers/ institutions with their corresponding courses which shall serve as the applicant’s directory.

D. SUP applicant shall be given free-hand in choosing his preferred center/institution and appropriate upgrading course from among the given lists.

VII. Process Flow

A. The following shall govern processing of applications:

Applicant secures and accomplishes Application Form and submits it with complete requirements at concerned RWO;

RWO screens applicant, evaluates his eligibility and documentary requirements submitted;

Once applicant has complied with all the requirements of the program, RWO encodes his data, issues scholarship voucher and orients applicant on program policies, guidelines and procedures;

Applicant reports to training center/institution for enrollment and training;

Training center/institution admits RWO referred scholar training;

Upon completion of training, the training center/institution sends statement of account and forwards Certificate of Completion to concerned RWO for co-signing of Regional Supervisor;

Applicant reports to RWO to claim Certificate of Completion;

RWO releases Certificate of Completion to scholar;

RWO process voucher for payment of tuition/training fee.

B. In RWOs where there are no MTC accredited training centers/institutions or where there are no IMO listed upgrading courses, applicants shall be referred to and monitored at the nearest RWO where the above condition exist.

C. Processing of application for SUP courses availed at the NMP in Tacloban City shall be the responsibility of the RWO where the seafarer originally filed his SUP application (per MOI No. 003, series 2004).

VIII. Centralized Monitoring

In the absence of an operational database networking system at the Secretariat and to avoid double availment of the program, the Membership Processing Center or MPC shall serve as the initial clearing house in the availment of the SUP.

Thereafter the Management Information System (MIS) shall automatically take- over the function of clearing all claims and availments.

Verification of RWOs shall be done thru electronic mail. The MPC shall issue an electronic copy of Certification of Availment/Non-Availment.

IX. Repealing Clause

All Secretariat issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this

MOI are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

X. Effectivity

This MOI takes effect immediately.

Adopted: 20 Jan. 2007

(SGD.) MARIANO D. ROQUE Administrator