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Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 474, Executive Order No. 125/ 125-A, Executive Order No. 75 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), and the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), as amended, the following provisions are hereby adopted, to wit:

I. OBJECTIVE

To adopt and implement the following:

1. New Management Level Course for Marine Deck Officers and Management Level Course for Marine Engineer Officers in accordance with the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments; and
2. Updating Course for Management Level Marine Deck Officers and Management Level Marine Engineer Officers certificated under the STCW ‘78, as amended in 1995.

II. COVERAGE

This Circular shall cover and apply to the following courses:

1. New Management Level Course for Marine Deck Officers in accordance with the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments;
2. New Management Level Course for Marine Engineer Officers in accordance with the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments;
3. Updating Course for Management Level Marine Deck Officers certificated under the STCW ‘78, as amended in 1995; and
4. Updating Course for Management Level Marine Engineer Officers certificated under the STCW ‘78, as amended in 1995.

III. DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purpose of this Circular, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

1. Administration or STCW Administration – shall refer to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), through the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), as the single government agency mandated to implement and enforce the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended;
2. Chief Engineer Officer – shall refer to the senior engineer officer responsible for the mechanical propulsion and the operation and maintenance of the mechanical and electrical installations of the ship;
3. Chief Mate – shall refer to the officer next in rank to the master and upon whom the command of the ship will fall in the event of the incapacity of the master;
4. Function – shall refer to the group of tasks, duties and responsibilities, as specified in the STCW Code, necessary for ship operation, safety of life at sea or protection of the marine environment (e.g. navigation; cargo handling and stowage; controlling the operation of the ship and care for persons on board; marine engineering; electrical, electronic and control engineering; maintenance and repair; and radio communications);
5. Management Level – shall refer to the level of responsibility associated with:
   • serving as master, chief mate, chief engineer officer or second engineer officer on board a seagoing ship; and
   • ensuring that all functions within the designated area of responsibility are properly performed;
6. Management Level Course for Marine Deck Officers – shall refer to the approved education and training for Masters and Chief Mates on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more under Regulation II/2 of the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended;
7. Management Level Course for Marine Engineer Officers – shall refer to the approved education and training for Chief Engineer Officers and Second Engineer Officers on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 3,000 kW propulsion power or more under Regulation III/2 of the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended;
8. Maritime Education and Training Institutions (METIs) – shall refer to both maritime higher education institutions and maritime training institutions;
9. Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs) – shall refer to all higher education institutions, public or private, duly authorized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and by the respective Governing Boards in case of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), to conduct maritime education programs in accordance with the STCW Convention and the applicable laws rules and regulations of the Philippines;
10. Maritime Training Institutions (MTIs) – shall refer to the duly established institutions, public or private, duly authorized by the Administration to offer maritime training courses in accordance with the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended and the applicable laws, rules and regulations;
11. Master – shall refer to the person having command of a ship;
12. Module – shall refer to the group of topics specified in each function of the training course;
13. Second Engineer Officer – shall refer to the engineer officer next in rank to the Chief Engineer officer and upon whom the responsibility for the mechanical propulsion and the operation and maintenance of the mechanical and electrical installations of the ship will fall in the event of the incapacity of the chief engineer officer; and,
14. STCW Convention – shall refer to the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (1978 STCW Convention), as amended;

IV. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The following Annexes are hereby adopted and shall form part of this Circular: *

• Annex I	-	New Management Level Course for Marine Deck Officers in accordance with the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments;
• Annex II	-	New Management Level Course for Marine Engineer Officers in accordance with the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments;
• Annex III	-	Updating Course for Management Level Marine Deck Officers certificated under the STCW ‘78, as amended in 1995; and
• Annex IV	-	Updating Course for Management Level Marine Engineer Officers certificated under the STCW ‘78, as amended in 1995.

Note: For the complete copy of the above Annexes, please visit the MARINA Website at www.marina.gov.ph.

2. The education and training for Management Level Marine Deck Officers (Masters and Chief Mates) and Management Level Marine Engineer Officers (Chief Engineer Officers and Second Engineer Officers) shall be in accordance with Annexes I and II of this Circular, respectively.
3. Management Level Marine Deck Officers and Management Level Marine Engineer Officers who were certificated under STCW ’78, as amended in 1995 should have completed the updating course mentioned above before the expiration of their Certificate of Competency (COC), but not later than 31 December 2016.
4. The updating course for Management Level Marine Deck Officers and Management Level Marine Engineer Officers who were certificated under STCW ’78, as amended in 1995 shall be in accordance with Annexes III and IV, respectively, in order to update their COC to the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments.
5. The curricula contained in the above-mentioned Annexes provide the general course framework which shall serve as guide for the METIs in designing their own curriculum, syllabus, instructor’s guide and other course materials.
6. METIs that were previously granted accreditation or provisional approval by the Administration shall revise their respective management level courses in accordance with Annexes I and II hereof and shall submit the same to the MARINA-STCW Office for evaluation, inspection of training and administrative requirements and approval. Likewise, such METIs shall design and offer the updating courses in accordance with Annexes III and IV above to facilitate simultaneous delivery of these courses with the new management level courses, subject to evaluation and approval by the Administration.
7. In order to ensure that the management level courses provided in this Circular shall be structured in accordance with written programs, methods and media of delivery as required under Regulation I/6, Section A-I/6 of the STCW Convention, METIs shall exercise utmost diligence and responsibility in setting their respective course curriculum, syllabus, instructor’s guide, assessment instrument and other course materials, and shall define therein the specific course content, learning objectives, activities and exercises, time allocation per topic, teaching aids and equipment, methods of teaching, and the specific training outcomes.
8. METIs shall offer and conduct the management level courses herein provided only after approval thereof has been granted by the Administration.

V. APPROVAL OF THE MANAGEMENT LEVEL COURSES

The approval of the management level courses herein provided shall be in accordance with MARINA Circular No. 2013 – 01 or any amendment thereof, including any other related Issuances as may be promulgated by the Administration.

VI. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Management Level Marine Deck Officers certificated under STCW‘78, as amended in 1995 must complete the “Updating Course for Management Level Marine Deck Officers” (Annex III of this Circular) not later than 31 December 2016 in order to update their COC to the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments.
2. Management Level Marine Engineer Officers certificated under STCW‘78, as amended in 1995 must complete the “Updating Course for Management Level Marine Engineer Officers” (Annex IV of this Circular) not later than 31 December 2016 in order to update their COC to the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments.
3. Officers in Charge of a Navigational Watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more who shall have completed the revised Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) program under CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 31, series of 2013, starting March 2017, must complete the “Management Level Course for Marine Deck Officers” (Annex I of this Circular) in order to meet the minimum standard of competence for certification in the Management Level position.
4. Officers in Charge of an Engineering Watch on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 750 kW propulsion power or more who shall have completed the revised Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE) program starting March 2017 under CMO No. 32, series of 2013 must complete the Management Level Course for Marine Engineer Officers (Annex II of this Circular) in order to meet the minimum standard of competence for certification in the Management Level position.
5. Officers in Charge of a Navigational Watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more who completed the old BSMT program under CMO No. 13, series of 2005, until March 2016, must first complete an updating course for Officers in Charge of a Navigational Watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more in order to qualify to take the Management Level Course for Marine Deck Officers.
6. Officers in Charge of an Engineering Watch on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 750 kW propulsion power or more who completed the old BSMarE program under CMO No. 13, series of 2005, until March 2016, must first complete an updating course for Officers in Charge of an Engineering Watch on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 750 kW propulsion power or more, in order to qualify to take the Management Level Course for Marine Engineer Officers.
7. Deck Officers who completed the Management Level Course for Marine Deck Officers covered by the provisional approval granted by the Administration from 17 September 2013 to 30 April 2014 must take the “Updating Course for Management Level Marine Deck Officers” (Annex III of this Circular) not later than 31 December 2016 in order to update their COC to the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments.
8. Engineer Officers who completed the Management Level Course for Marine Engineer Officers covered by the provisional approval granted by the Administration from 17 September 2013 to 30 April 2014 must take the “Updating Course for Management Level Marine Engineer Officers” (Annex IV of this Circular) not later than 31 December 2016 in order to update their COC to the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments.

VII. TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

1. All METIs that were previously granted accreditation or provisional approval by the Administration are hereby given until 31 March 2014 to submit the courses mentioned under Item IV, paragraph [6] above to the MARINA STCW Office for evaluation, inspection of training and administrative requirements and approval.

The submission shall include, among others, the following:

.1 Course curriculum and syllabus;
.2 Instructors’ Guide;
.3 Course Timetable/Schedule;
.4 Practical exercises/scenarios;
.5 Written examinations;
.6 Assessment matrix;
.7 Training Completion and Record of Assessment (TCROA) Form; and
.8 Assessment system manual.

2. The approval of the management level courses shall be in accordance with Item V of this Circular, without prejudice to any moratorium policy imposed by the Administration.
3. The MARINA Administrator shall be allowed to issue relevant Issuances in furtherance of the implementation of the requirements of the Management Level Courses.

VIII. PENALTY CLAUSE

Any violation of the provisions of this Circular or of the requirements for the conduct of the Management Level Courses herein provided shall be governed by the provisions of MARINA Circular No. 2013 – 05 and any amendment thereof, including any other related Issuances as may be promulgated by the Administration.

IX. REPEALING CLAUSE

Any provision of existing MARINA Circulars, rules and regulations and all other Issuances pertaining to the management level courses which are contrary to or inconsistent with this Circular shall be deemed repealed and/or superseded accordingly.

X. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE

This Circular shall take effect immediately after its publication once in a newspaper of general circulation.

Manila, Philippines, 13 February 2014.

By Authority of the Board:

(SGD.) MAXIMO Q. MEJIA, JR., PhD
Administrator