Further to Memorandum Circular No. 06 and 07, Series of 1997, the following guidelines are issued to clarify the implementation of the PSSR course in accordance with the requirements of the STCW Convention, 1978. As amended:

1. The PSSR Course which became effective 01 August 1997, shall form part of the four (4) Basic Safety Courses (BSC);
   
   
2. The 4 BSCs, as prescribed under the amended STCW 78 Convention now comprises: a) Personal Survival Techniques; b) Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, c) Elementary First Aid; and d) Personal Safety and Social Responsibility;
   
   
3. Seafarers who have completed the three former SOLAS Courses viz., Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, First Aid at Sea and Personal Survival Techniques before 01 October 1997 and are holders of valid training certificates for the three courses, are required in addition to the said three courses, to undergo training for PSSR not later than 01 February 2002, to complete the four (4) BSCs as required under the 1978 STCW Convention, as amended.
   
   
4. Seafarers who entered the program from 01 October 1997 are required to undergo training on the four (4) BSCs as prescribed under Regulation VI/1 and Section A-VI/1 of the 1978 STCW Convention as amended, to qualify for shipboard employment.
   
   
5. Seafarers who are in possession of valid training certificates as provided in Paragraph 3 above, shall no longer be required to undergo such training, but shall be required to undergo training for PSSR only, within the prescribed period, to qualify for future shipboard employment.
   
   
6. All BSC certificates shall have a validity period of five (5) years. To maintain the validity of the certificates, the seafarer/holder shall be required to undergo shipboard employment for at least one year in aggregate period within five years from date of issuance of the certificates. Otherwise, upon expiry, the certificates shall be revalidated through the process of re-training, covering the entire four basic safety courses.

This Memorandum Circular clarifies implementing provisions of Memorandum Circular No. 06 and 07, Series of 1997.

For strict compliance.

Adopted: 22 June 1998

(SGD.) RAMON T. TIONLOC, JR.
Acting Executive officer