Purpose and policy objective
- The circular issues amendatory guidelines to provide additional training for departing seafarers.
- The training is an intervention to address piracy-related issues.
- The circular requires practical measures training designed to avoid, deter, or delay piracy attacks.
Coverage: who must comply and when
- All manning agencies must require their seafarers to undergo anti-piracy awareness training before deployment.
- All departing seafarers must attend the training regardless of vessel trade routes.
- The training must be provided free to seafarers.
- Compliance applies before deployment and for every departure subject to the manning agency’s recruitment and deployment activities.
Training module submission and certificates
- The training module must be submitted by agencies to POEA for approval.
- The anti-piracy training must be separate and in addition to the regular Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) for departing seafarers.
- Agencies must submit to POEA a duplicate copy of the certificate of attendance to the anti-piracy awareness training.
- Where in-house processing is used, agencies must submit a list of all trainees to POEA each month, showing:
- the name of the trainee,
- the date of training,
- the name of company (if training is done on behalf of another manning company), and
- the corresponding number of certificate issued.
In-house training and trainer authorization
- The anti-piracy training must be conducted in-house by manning agencies.
- Manning agencies that cannot conduct in-house training may avail of training provided by other manning agencies whose training module has been approved by POEA.
- Manning agencies must submit to POEA the names of trainors authorized to conduct the training program.
- Agencies using in-house processing must submit an undertaking format signed by the agency on behalf of its principal stating that the seafarers they deploy comply with the requirement.
Enforcement and sanctions for non-compliance
- Violation by the manning agency and/or the foreign principals on these guidelines is a ground for the imposition of appropriate sanctions under the POEA Rules and Regulations.
- Manning agencies that do not comply with the guidelines are sanctioned under Part V, Rule V, Sec. 1, C.8 of the Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Seafarers, as follows:
- 1st offense: reprimand
- 2nd offense: suspension of license (one month to three months)
- 3rd offense: suspension of license (three months and one day to six months)
- 4th offense: cancellation of license
Relationship to earlier issuances
- All previous issuances inconsistent with POEA Memorandum Circular No. 02, s. of 2010 are amended.
- The circular is issued further to Memorandum Circular No. 12, series of 2009.