Policies on Basic Safety Courses under STCW-78

The resolution acknowledges that the STCW-78 Convention, as amended in 1995, has come into effect on 01 February 1997.
The Philippines is recognized as having obligations to promulgate laws, decrees, orders, and regulations and to take other steps necessary to give full and complete effect to the STCW-78 Convention.
The resolution treats the implementation of Basic Safety Courses (BSCs) as subject to issues arising under the 1995 Amendments, including the imposition of the Personal Safety and Social Responsibility Course.
The resolution adopts policies to address implementation issues involving the shift to the four BSCs requirement and the PSSR course.

The resolution sets a transition policy for Filipino seafarers who have taken the 3 Basic Safety Courses with valid STCW-78 certificates.
The resolution establishes the requirement that the four required BSCs under STCW-78 (as amended in 1995) be mandatory for new entrants before shipboard employment.
The resolution consolidates certification so that trainees under the four-course requirement receive one training certificate for the full BSC package.
The resolution aligns accreditation and permit renewals so that training centers can offer the required courses under integrated permitting rules.

Filipino seafarers who have taken the 3 Basic Safety Courses (BSCs) with valid certificates under STCW-78 are given until 01 February 2002 to take the Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (PSSR) Course.
Seafarers covered by this transition category may hold two (2) certificates for the 4 BSCs.
The resolution limits the transition grant to Filipino seafarers “unless otherwise required by their employers” to take the course earlier.
The transition applies to seafarers who have completed the 3 BSCs under the 1978 STCW Convention.

The resolution requires that the 4 Basic Safety Courses under STCW-78 (as amended) are mandatory for all new entrant-seafarers.
The 4 BSCs serve as a prerequisite to shipboard employment.
The four courses are identified as: Personal Survival Technique, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid, and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility.
Seafarers under this category must take the 4 BSCs in one training center as a package course.
Only one training certificate is issued for the 4 Basic Safety Courses when taken as a package course.

Training centers offering the 3 BSCs under the 1978 STCW Convention must endeavor to be accredited to offer the 4 courses within the current year.
If a training center does not secure accreditation to offer the 4 courses within the current year, its existing permits shall not be renewed.
Training centers currently authorized to offer PSSR only may renew their permits only up to December 31, 1998.
No new permits are issued to offer PSSR only.
Accreditation of the 4 BSCs is integrated under one training permit with a single expiration date.

Training centers that offer PSSR with an expiry date different from the 3 BSCs must synchronize their accreditation during renewal.
Upon renewal, training centers must align the permits so that PSSR expiry is synchronized with the latest expiration date or the new permit of the 3 BSCs.
The synchronization rule applies where training centers currently offer PSSR and the expiry date differs from the 3 BSCs.
Integrated permitting under one expiration date governs the accreditation of the complete 4 BSCs.

The resolution is chaired by the Maritime Training Council through its chairman, the Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment.
It includes participation from the Commission on Higher Education, the Professional Regulation Commission, the Maritime Industry Authority, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
It includes a Private Sector Representative signatory and an industry association signatory through AMOSUP.
The resolution is attested by the Acting Executive Officer of the Maritime Training Council.