Recognizing the continuing clamor from domestic shipowners and from the oceangoing seafarers themselves who, while on vacation, sometimes go onboard domestic ships, the Management has decided to scrap item I of MARINA Advisory 2006-005, thereby allowing oceangoing seafarers who are holders of valid Certificates of Competency (COCs) to practice their profession onboard domestic ships.

Such permission however is granted subject to applicable international rules as required by the STCW 1978 as Amended, particularly concerning Regulation V/1 and V/2 whose required trainings, together with the other trainings deemed appropriate and acceptable by the MARINA, are incorporated in the œAnnex 1^*  hereof which is an integral part of this Advisory.

All COC holders intending to go onboard domestic ships must visit the Manpower Development Office of MARINA ™s Central Office or any of its Regional Offices and secure a Certification of Equivalence, the validity of which shall coincide with the validity of the COC presented, and pay the corresponding fee of One Hundred Seventy-Five Pesos (PhP 175.00), inclusive of the Fifteen Pesos (PhP 15.00) documentary stamp, before they be allowed to practice their profession in the Domestic Trade.

Applicable Administrative Fines and Penalties concerning previously identified possible violations of seafarers and companies, when implementing this Advisory, are likewise adopted.

This Advisory, which amends MARINA Advisory 2006-005 supersedes MARINA Advisory 2007-003 and shall take effect immediately after its publication once in a newspaper of general circulation and remains to be effective until the amendatory Circular to MC 164 shall have been approved and adopted.

For information, guidance and strict compliance.

(SGD.) ANGELO C. VERDAN
  Administrator

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^* Not included in the document submitted.