WHEREAS, the Maritime Safety Committee, at its Eighty-First Session, adopted the amendment to Chapter VI of the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended, which added a new Regulation VI/5, entitled œMandatory Minimum Requirements for the issuance of Certificate of Proficiency for Ship Security Officer  which entered into force 01 January
2008;

WHEREAS, prior to the above-cited amendment, the Maritime Industry Authority in coordination with the Office of Transport Security (OTS), in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Safety of Life (SOLAS) Convention, accredits training provider/centers offering courses for Ship Security Officers (SSO) and Company Security Officer (CSO);

WHEREAS, paragraph 4 of Regulation VI/5 provides that, until 01 July 2009, a Party may continue to recognize personnel who hold or can document qualification as ship security officers before the entry into force of this Regulation;

WHEREAS, the completion of an approved training is one of the requirements in determining the professional competence of a Ship Security Officer under transitional provision of the STCW Code under MTC Resolution No. 04, Series of 2008;

WHEREAS, MTC Memorandum Circular No. 01, Series of 2008 provides that the accreditation of SSO under the adjusted program shall be administered by the MTC Secretariat;

WHEREAS, approval of accreditation of training courses required under Chapter VI of the STCW Convention is governed by MTC Resolution No. 03, Series of 1998;

WHEREAS, it is within the mandate of MTC to promulgate the standards in the administration of the Ship Security Officer in accordance with the STCW Convention.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises, the Council RESOLVES, as it hereby RESOLVED that:

1. The Maritime Training Council shall commence with the accreditation of training program for the Ship Security Officer (SSO) in accordance with the provisions of Resolution No. 03, Series of 1998 effective 02 November 2009;
   
   
2. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) shall cease from issuing accreditation of Ship Security Officer training courses/providers effective 30 October 2009. Accreditation issued before this date shall no longer be renewed and training providers with existing accreditation shall continue to conduct training in SSO until the date of expiration;
   
   
3. All SSO training certificates issued by MARINA-accredited training providers during the validity of its operation shall be accepted by the National Assessment Center for the issuance of Certificate of Proficiency within 5 years from the date of issuance;
   
   
4. The OTS representatives shall participate in the inspection of SSO training centers applying for accreditation with the Maritime Training Council and/or participate in the assessment of SSO applicants at the National Assessment Center provided that they meet the qualification requirements of assessors under the STCW Convention.

RESOLVE FURTHER, that the MTC Secretariat shall formulate Guidelines on the implementation of this Resolution.
 
RESOLVED FINALLY, that the MTC Secretariat is directed to take measures in order that the issuance of SSO Certificate of Proficiency shall be included under the provisions of Resolution No. 04, Series of 2008 which decentralized the assessment of competence.

Adopted: 08 Oct. 2009

Approved:

(SGD.) ROMEO C. LAGMAN
Department of Labor and Employment
Presiding Chair, Maritime Training Council
 

(SGD.) NICOLAS P. LAPENA, JR.  Chairperson, Professional Regulation  Commission (PRC)	(SGD.) JENNIFER J. MANALILI Administrator, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
(SGD.) CARMELITA S. DIMZON Administrator, Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA)	(SGD.) EMMANUEL Y. ANGELES Chairman, Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
(SGD.) WILFREDO D. TAMAYO Commandant, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)	(SGD.) EVAN P. GARCIA Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
(SGD.) GREGORIO S. OCA Private Sector Representative Associated Marine Officers and Seaman ™s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP)

Attested:

(SGD.) NORIEL P. DEVANADERA
Acting Executive Director
Maritime Training Council (MTC)