Strengthening Maritime Education and Training in the Philippines
Strengthening Maritime Education and Training in the Philippines | EU–ASEAN SCOPE Seafarers Project
On 26 October 2026, the EU–ASEAN SCOPE Seafarers Project held its second Project Steering Committee meeting in Manila, Philippines, marking another important milestone in advancing maritime education, training and certification in the country.
Funded by the European Union and implemented by NTU International over a 42-month period, the project aims to strengthen maritime governance, institutional capacity and sustainable compliance with international maritime standards.
The meeting brought together senior representatives of the European Union and key Philippine maritime institutions to review the project's progress, reflect on achievements and discuss priorities for the next six months.
The discussions highlighted several important developments, including:
- Progress in implementing the MARINA Master Plan, which provides a framework for institutional reforms and strengthened maritime governance.
- The development of a Human Resource and Competence Management Framework to strengthen MARINA's institutional capacity.
- Continued support for the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) through stakeholder engagement and capacity-building activities.
- Enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge exchange on port safety, decarbonisation and future seafarer competencies.
Among the distinguished participants were H.E. Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines; Atty. Villamor Ventura S. Plan, Assistant Secretary for Maritime at the Department of Transportation (DOTr); and Ms. Fotini Ioannidou, Director for Waterborne Transport at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), alongside representatives of MARINA, DOLE and DMW.
Looking ahead, the project will focus on translating these achievements into concrete technical interventions, further strengthening maritime education and training systems, institutional capacity and compliance with international standards.
