Maritime Training Council Establishment

The Council develops, formulates, and prescribes standards of training for seafarers as required by the Convention.
The Council issues certificates of proficiency or competency to seamen who meet SCTW training requirements.
The Council assists the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports in regulating and supervising the establishment and operation of seamen training centers throughout the country.
The Council liaises and coordinates with international organizations, particularly the International Maritime Organization, on training, upgrading, and qualifying seafarers.
The Council formulates rules and regulations to implement SCTW of 1978 and to attain the objectives of the Letter of Instructions.
The Council prescribes and collects fees from seamen training centers, subject to clearance by the National Tax Research Center, and remits the proceeds to, which then constitute, part of the Seafarers Welfare Fund.
The Council undertakes special programs/projects to further the objectives of training and upgrading of seafarers.
The Council studies, evaluates, and recommends to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports the number and maximum enrollment of nautical schools to ensure graduates have a reasonable opportunity to be employed aboardship after graduation.

The Council maintains a Secretariat composed of a representative each from the agencies represented in the Council, plus administrative personnel.
The Council may call upon any government agency or instrumentality for technical and personnel assistance in carrying out its functions.

The Council’s operations are funded from the proceeds of the Seafarers Welfare Fund (SWF).
For the Current Fiscal Year, the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos is authorized to be collected from the SWF office.
Subsequent annual financial requirements are allocated by the SWF office subject to approval by the Minister of Labor and Employment, acting in his capacity as Chairman of the SWF.

The Minister of Labor and Employment serves both as Chairman of the Council and as the head under whose administrative and policy control the Council is attached to the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
The Council includes agency heads/authorities from maritime, education, overseas employment, welfare, and professional regulation, plus a private sector representative.
The private sector representative is appointed by the Chairman.

The Letter of Instructions recognizes that the Philippines must maintain its position as a major supplier of seafarers to world shipping.
It declares that employment of Filipino seafarers constitutes a major source of foreign exchange earnings for the country.
It situates the Council’s establishment in relation to the Philippines’ January 11, 1984 submission to the International Maritime Organization of the Instrument of Accession to the SCTW 1978 for Seafarers, intended to promote safety of life and property at sea and protection of the marine environment.

Section 5 repeals, revokes, or amends: Governance of Specialized Maritime Training of 1982, LOI 588, S-1977, and other instructions or issuances inconsistent with Letter of Instructions No. 1404.
Section 6 provides that the Letter of Instructions takes effect immediately.
The Letter of Instructions is dated May 01, 1984 and is signed by FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, in the City of Manila.