Court ruling threatens country’s P3-billion maritime industry, says CHED, Labor

THE Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Labor and Employment warned that the recent ruling of a Quezon City court granting PMI Colleges a preliminary injunction on the closure of its non-compliant BS Marine Transportation and BS Marine Engineering programs in October last year threatens the country’s P3-billion maritime industry.

In an order released on Jan. 30, Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 105 Judge Rosa Samson issued a writ of preliminary injunction saying PMI was not afforded the opportunity to be heard when CHED changed the effectivity of the closure orders from the first semester of academic year 2012-2013 to second semester of 2011-2012.

This was a violation of the Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education, Samson said.

Samson also doubted the position that continuing the programs, even only up to the second semester of 2011-2012 would result in the exclusion of the Philippines from the so-called White List pending the audit of states for compliance with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention conducted every five years.

CHED and the DOLE had argued that Samson did not take into account the testimonies of their witnesses who testified that strict adherence to the STCW was required of States Parties to the Convention.

Otherwise, deficient countries like the Philippines face removal from the White List, and seafarers and workers will no longer be allowed to board European Union-registered ships for maritime employment, the government agencies said.

Maritime Training Council executive director Liberty Casco said removal from the White List would threaten the country’s P3-billion maritime industry.

Last year, the European Maritime Safety Agency declared that the Philippines was no longer compliant with STCW after conducting independent assessments in 2006 and 2010.

The EMSA cited numerous deficiencies and instances of non-compliance to the requirements by PMI.

CHED legal director Carmelita Yadao-Sison confirmed that PMI maritime courses were ordered closed by the commission due to several deficiencies found which had not been corrected up to the first closure order served on PMI in May 2011. –Gigi Munoz-David, Manila Standard Today