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WHEREAS, Section 5 of MTC Resolution No. 6, s-2000 which establishes a National Assessment Center requires that the MTC Secretariat in coordination with the Technical Working Group composed of representatives and agencies represented in the Council shall prepare the guidelines of instruction and the uniform procedure in assessing competence of seafarers;

WHEREAS, a Technical Group was convened on 26 October 2000 to discuss the draft guidelines and procedures;

WHEREAS, Section 5 of the above-mentioned Resolution requires that such Guidelines and Procedures shall be approved by the Council.

NOW, THEREFORE, in view of the foregoing premises, resolve that the herein Guidelines and Procedures of Assessment for the National Assessment Center is hereby approved for immediate implementation.

Adopted: 15 November 2000

(SGD.) BIENVENIDO P. LAGUESMA Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment and Chairman, Maritime Training Council
(SGD.) HERMOGENES P. POBRE Chairman, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)	(SGD.) REYNALDO A. REGALADO Administrator, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
(SGD.) ELEUTERIO N. GARDINER Administrator, Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA)	(SGD.) OSCAR M. SEVILLA Administrator, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)
(SGD.) RADM. EUCEO E. FAJARDO Commandant, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)	(SGD.) ESTER A. GARCIA Chairman, Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
(SGD.) VICENTE F. ALDANESE, JR. Private Sector Representative Filipino Association for Mariners Employment (FAME)	(SGD.) GREGORIA S. OCA Private Sector Representative Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union
Attested to: (SGD.) LORNA O. FAJARDO Executive Director

Guidelines and Procedures of Assessment and Issue of Certificates
Under Chapters V and VI of the STCW Convention As Amended

SECTION 2. Coverage — These guidelines shall cover all seafarers holding STCW ‘78 Certificates under the above-mentioned Chapters.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms —

a. Convention — refers to the 1978 STCW Convention as amended.

b. STCW Code — means the Seafarers’ Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code as adopted by the 1995 Conference Resolution 2, as it may be amended;

c. Certificate of Proficiency — refers to the certificate issued by the Maritime Training Council through the National Assessment Center or any entity which the Maritime Training Councl may authorize, intended to qualify seafarers under Chapter V and VI of the Convention;

d. New Entrant — refers to seafarers who commenced approved training under MTC Resolution No. 03, s. 1998 on or before 27 October 1998.

e. Existing Seafarer — refers to seafarers who are not included under (d) above prior to 27 October 1998.

f. Approved Training — refers to the completion of training courses from the accredited programs conducted by training centers under Resolution No. 03, s. 1998, or an equivalent course obtained from another country which is recognized by the MTC;

g. Seagoing Service — means service on board a ship relevant to the issue of a certificate or other qualification.

h. Master — means the person having command of a ship;

i. Officer — means a member of the crew, other than the Master, designated as such by national law or regulation;

j. Rating — means a member of the ship’s crew other than the Master or an Officer;

k. National Assessment Center — the body under the MTC created under Resolution No. 6, s. 2000.

l. Qualified Assessor — refers to the person who meets the requirements under Section 2 (d) of this Guidelines and Procedures and designated by the Council to assess the ability of an individual to perform a task, duty or responsibility based on established criteria and professional judgment to determine whether the required level of competence and proficiency is achieved.

m. RECORD OF ASSESSMENT — a prescribed document where the qualified assessor records the particulars or details of the examination or assessment conducted which indicates the outcome of such examination and assessment.

n. Oil Tanker — means a ship constructed and used for the carriage of petroleum and petroleum products in bulk;

o. Chemical Tanker — means a ship constructed or adapted and used for the carriage in bulk of any liquid product listed in Chapter 17 of the International Bulk Chemical Code;

p. Liquefied Gas Tanker — means a ship constructed or adapted and used for the carriage in bulk of any liquefied gas or other products listed in Chapter 19 of the International Gas Carrier Code;

q. Ro-Ro Passenger Ship — means a passenger ship with ro-ro spaces or special category spaces as defined in the International Convention for the Safety of Life and Property at Sea, 1974 as amended;

r. Passenger Ship Other Than Ro-Ro Ship - means a passenger ship other than ro-ro as defined in the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 as amended.


a. All applications for renewal and revalidation to STCW ‘95 certificates under this resolution shall emanate from the shipping company, manning agency, seafarers’ union and seafarer organization/associations.

b. As the need arises, facilities for walk-in applicants shall be provided.

c. Qualified assessors shall man the NAC and should meet the following qualifications;

1. Have an appropriate level of knowledge and understanding of the competence to be assessed;

2. Be qualified in the tasks for which the assessment is being made;

3. Have received appropriate guidance in assessment method and practice thru attendance to an MTC approved course in IMO Model Course 3.12.

4. Have gained practical assessment experience; and

5. If conducting assessment involving the use of simulators, have gained practical assessment experience in the particular type of simulator under the supervision and to the satisfaction of an experienced assessor.

d. Assessors shall be designated by the MTC.  The designation of qualified assessors shall specify the particular field in which they may be allowed to assess competence and such designation shall be valid for five years from the date of issue and may be revoked for cause.

e. All assessment of competence shall be documented in an appropriate RECORD OF ASSESSMENT, which shall be accomplished by an evaluator and approved by the designated Assessor.

f. If found qualified, the seafarer shall be issued a Certificate of Proficiency.

SECTION 5. Procedures in the Application for Certification under the STCW ‘95.    

a. Role of Shipping/Manning Company, Seafarers Union and Seafarers Organization/Association

1. Pre-qualify seafarers for certification under a particular STCW regulation.

2 Prepare application and required documents.

3. Check completeness of all documentary requirements before submitting application at the National Assessment Center to ensure the smooth and efficient processing of the application.

b.         Filing of Application

1. Application shall be filed using the prescribed forms at the National Assessment Center located at 6/F POEA Building, Ortigas Ave., cor. EDSA, Mandaluyong City.

2. Seafarer/Authorized Representative (Liaison Officer) submits letter of application (form as per Annex 3) with required documents to Receiving Clerk.

3. Receiving Clerk checks completeness of documents.  Incomplete documents returned for further completion.

4. Application with complete documents is then acknowledged and duly stamped as received with copy to Seafarer/Authorized Representative.  Application is subsequently entered in the computer for encoding.

5. Receiving clerk forwards documents to the designated Evaluator together with the Record of Assessment (ROA) based on the checklist of certificate(s) requested.

c. Evaluation of Application

The designated evaluator shall:

1. evaluate validity/authenticity of document, compare submitted documents with the documentary requirements stated in the Table of Assessment Standards for Existing Seafarers (Chapters V and/or VI).

2. indicate results of review and findings in the Record of Assessment form corresponding to the certificate requested, initials and remarks if necessary.

3. forwards documents and Record of Assessment to the Designated Assessor.         

d. Examination and Assessment

The designated assessor shall:

1. Examine and assess the documentary evidence in accordance with assessment standards issued for such particular certificate or document.  For each particular assessment standard, a record of assessment form is prepared for the use of the assessor.

2. Having examined and assessed the documentary evidences submitted, certify as to the qualification and fitness of the applicant who have meet the requirements.

3. Any remarks by the Assessor shall be indicated in the Record of Assessment.

4. If documents are not valid/not acceptable, Assessor indicates appropriate remarks in the Record of Assessment and can recommend seafarer to undergo assessment of skill or for further refreshing/updating of training.

5. If documents are in accordance to appropriate standards and criteria and seafarer is found qualified, the Assessor certifies and signs the Record of Assessment.

6. Assessor forwards the documents with the Records of Assessment to the Officer-in-Charge for approval of encoding and printing of certificates.

SECTION 6. Issue of Certificates/Documentary Evidence

a. Encoding

1.  Officer-in-Charge approves encoding and printing of Certificates.
   
   
2. Encoder encodes approved ROA.
   
   
3. Encoder records the control number on the ROA.
   
   
4. Encoder stamps “encoded” in the ROA and affixes initial and date.

b. Printing/Checking

1. Encoder prints the Certificates
   
   
2. Encoder stamps “certificate printed” in the ROA and affixes initial and date.
   
   
3. Encoder checks corrections printed in the Certificate.

c. Signing of Certificates

1. Assessor signs.
   
   
2. Executive Director signs (facsimile)
   
   
3. Officer-in-Charge counter signs below Executive Director facsimile signature.

d. Releasing

1. Liaison Officer (L.O. pays to the OWWA cashier.
   
   
2. L.O. presents OR to the releasing clerk.
   
   
3. Releasing clerk releases the certificate/s to the authorized L.O.

SECTION 7.       Effectivity — These guidelines and procedures shall take effect immediately upon approval.