WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 8544 known as the œPhilippine Merchant Marine Officers Act of 1998  requires compliance with the provisions of the Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers 1978, as amended in 1995, to which the Philippines is a signatory.

WHEREAS, Part A of the STCW Code provides for the standards of competence required to be demonstrated by candidates for the issuance and revalidation of certificates of competency of marine officers particularly the ability to undertake tasks, duties and responsibilities of marine engineer officers of the operational level listed in Table A-III/1 and of the management level listed in Table A-III/2 of the STCW Code.

WHEREAS, in the Rules and Regulations Implementing R.A. No. 8544 known as the œPhilippine Merchant Marine Officers Act of 1998 , adopted by the Board of Marine Engineer Officers and approved by the Commission, it is provided that œ. . . not later than the January, 2001 Marine Engineer Officers licensure examinations, the Board shall conduct the Practical/Oral examinations for the assessment of the skills/competence of marine engineer officers. As such, an examinee shall pass the appropriate written technical examination in order to qualify him to take the practical/oral examination.  (2nd Paragraph, Section 16, Article V of Board Resolution No. 48, Series of 1999)

WHEREAS, the Board, in its meeting on 21 January 2000 expressed their agreement to use simulators in the conduct of the practical examination/assessment of marine engineer officers at the operational and management levels to adopt and provide adequate safeguards to protect the integrity of the practical examination/assessment.

WHEREFORE, the Board resolved as it hereby resolves to give the practical examination/assessment as provided in Part A of the STCW Code to assess the competence of every candidate for certification as marine engineer officers at the operational and management levels in accordance with the following rules and guidelines:

1.         Officers required to take the practical examination/assessment - All marine engineer officers of the operational and management levels shall be required to take the practical examination/assessment on subjects where such examination/assessment with the use of simulators is appropriate.

1.1  Officers qualified to take the practical examination/assessment - Only officers who passed the written technical examination of both the operational and management levels, i.e., who obtained general average rating of at least seventy (70%) percent in all the subjects of the written technical examination with no grade lower than sixty (60%) percent in any subject shall be allowed to take the practical examination/assessment.

1.2.         The Board, in coordination and with the assistance of the Office of Licensure of the Commission, shall adopt procedures in giving and conducting the practical examination/assessment. The procedures should include systems and measures to protect and maintain the integrity of the examination/assessment and its results.

1.3       The Office of Licensure shall assist the Board in safeguarding the integrity of the practical examination/assessment of marine engineer officers before, during, and after the examination/assessment and shall adopt measures to attain this end.

2.         System of Grading - In accordance with the provisions of the 2nd paragraph of Section 23, Article VI of Resolution No. 48, Series of 1999 of the Board of Marine Engineer Officers, the examinee ™s passing weighted general average rating shall be at least seventy (70%) percent which shall be computed as follows:

70% for the written technical examination; and

30% percent for the practical examination/assessment

2.1    To pass the licensure examination which consists of the written technical examination and the practical examination/assessment, the examinee must obtain a weighted general average rating of at least seventy (70%) percent in the written technical examination and practical examination/assessment with no grade lower than sixty (60%) percent in any of the subjects/courses in the practical examination/assessment.

2.2    Removal Examination - An examinee whose weighted general average rating both the written technical examination and in the practical examination/assessment is seventy (70%) percent or more but obtained a grade lower than sixty (60%) percent in any of the subjects/courses in the practical examination/assessment, said examinee must take the practical examination/assessment in the said subject/s. An examinee who fails three (3) consecutive practical examinations/assessments must retake the examination/assessment after one (1) year from the last examination/assessment taken.

3.         The Board shall give/conduct the first practical examination/assessment of marine engineer officers of both the operational and management levels to those who will pass the written technical examination to be given in July 2000.

This Resolution shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, whichever is earlier.

Adopted: 10 April 2000

(SGD.) C/E EUGENIO L. EBRO, JR. Chairman
(SGD.) C/E HONORIO D. CALICA Member	(SGD.) C/E CHRISTOPHER P. MAAMBONG Member
(SGD.) C/E RODELIO J. LAGAT Member	(SGD.) C/E ARTURO D. CARMEN Member
ATTESTED:
(SGD.) CARLOS G. ALMELOR Secretary, Professional Regulatory Boards
APPROVED:
(SGD.) HERMOGENES P. POBRE Commission Chairman
(SGD.) ALFONSO G. ABAD Associate Commissioner	(SGD.) AVELINA DE LA REA-TAN Associate Commissioner