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1.  Authority — Pursuant to Section 13 of Presidential Decree No. 474, dated 1 June 1974, whereby the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) shall establish and support a system of maintaining and developing a reservoir of trained manpower, shipping companies and shipyard are hereby enjoined to extend full corporation to the MARINA towards the attainment of this objective.

2.  Purpose — The purpose of this Memorandum Circular is to secure the active participation of the shipping companies and the shipyards in the apprenticeship training of graduates of nautical schools and marine engineering institutions.

3.  Scope — This Memorandum Circular applies to all shipping companies with ships of Philippine Registry, whether temporary or permanent, and to all shipyards in the Philippines.

4.  Background — There is currently an acute shortage of qualified officers for the present merchant marine fleet.

In a few years, there will be an accelerated increase in merchant marine vessels which, in turn, will require an increased number of qualified marine officers, both for deck and for marine engineering. At present, the thirteen (13) private, nautical schools and marine engineering institutions and the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy do not have apprenticeship training facilities so that at most only about 30% of their graduates continue their maritime profession, while the majority shift to other means of livelihood.

In anticipation of the urgent need for qualified officers in the near future, it is imperative that apprenticeship opportunities be provided to graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation course and of the marine engineering schools. There is need to have the shipping companies and shipyards, which will ultimately utilize the officers, participate in the apprenticeship training of marine graduates.

Inasmuch as the shipping companies and the shipyards are enjoined to actively participate in qualifying the graduates into licensed officers, priority for the utilization of these officers should be given to them.

5.  Procedure — The shipping companies shall submit to the MARINA the number of apprentices presently under training aboard their vessels and the dates the cadets training shall have been completed. They shall advice the MARINA on the number of additional apprentices they could accommodate.

The nautical and the marine engineering schools shall advise their graduates to report to the Manpower Development Office, MARINA, with a copy of their diploma or certificate and a copy of their school transcript of records. Priority in training shall be given to those with high scholastic standing.

The MARINA shall obtain from the National Seamen Board a list of graduates of nautical and marine engineering schools who have not undergone ship-board training. Priority for training shall be given to those whose names have been listed earlier.

Depending on the number of ships available for training, the MARINA shall send candidates for apprenticeship training to the shipping companies which shall then conduct aptitude and/or intelligence tests and interviews. Another group of candidates shall be sent by the MARINA to the shipping companies in the event that all the candidates in the first group fall.

In the course of the ship-board training, the vessel has to undergo drydocking or repairs. The ship master shall endorse the apprentices to the superintendent or manager of the shipyard for training in " drydocking", "safety of life fire fighting", and "lifeboats and inflatable life rafts".

The ship officer or the superintendent of the shipyard shall evaluate the apprentices performance whenever applicable.

Depending on the cadets performance, the ship master, through the shipping company, shall recommend to the MARINA whether a cadet's training shall be continued or be terminated.

6.  Training Coordination — The shipping companies and the shipyards shall extend full cooperation in the implementation of this Memorandum Circular by:

a.    making available their ships and facilities for the apprenticeship training of the graduates of the nautical schools and marine engineering institutions.

b.    seeing to it, in the case of shipping companies, that the training shall include, among others, the subject of cargo handling and checking, which may be taught ashore or on board the vessels.

c.    seeing to it, in the case of shipping companies, that the accommodation of apprentices on board their vessels, which are of Philippine Registry, whether temporary or permanent, shall not constitute revenue passage nor the apprentices be considered passengers, provided that their number shall not adversely affect the shipping companies financial position and provided that the shipping companies have the necessary accommodation facilities.

d.    providing the apprentices with free board and lodging, when appropriate.

7.  Responsibility

a.    The MARINA shall be responsible for the effective and efficient implementation of the apprenticeship training.

b.    That nautical and marine engineering schools shall be responsible for the efficient monitoring of this training program.

8.  Effectivity — This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 28 Oct. 1975

(SGD.) GENEROSO F. TANSECO
Administrator