MARINA teams up with Nautical Institute to enhance maritime education

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has partnered with the Nautical Institute (NI) to boost the country's maritime education and training (MET) through a memorandum of understanding (MOU), according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

In a statement on Monday, MARINA said the NI will provide the agency and local MET institutions with "academic advice and suggestions" through the MOU.

These include improvements on MET curricula for officers on board and postgraduate curricula for shore-based maritime personnel and the conduct of academic workshops "to improve teaching methodology and contents of subjects included in the curricula."

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It also aims to "support the professional development of seafarers" by mapping out Certificate of Competence to levels of professional membership and registration up to "chartered" status.

"The signed memorandum also paved way for the MARINA to have access to information that will support the professional development of seafarers, counseling on accreditation of training programs to support the education of Filipino seafarers, as well as to support the recognition of seafarers through routes to registration," the MARINA statement read.

The MOU was signed by MARINA Administrator Hernani Fabia and NI chief executive officer Captain John Lloyd, FNI during the celebration of the NI's 50th founding anniversary on Friday.

During the event, Fabia said the partnership would allow MARINA to "accelerate the achievement" of a nationally-integrated and globally competitive maritime industry through maritime education, innovation, technology, and sustainability.

"We look forward to the support of maritime stakeholders, like your organization, as we push forward with policy and institutional initiatives, especially the programs in our 10-year maritime industry plan," he said.

The NI is a non-governmental organization with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization that aims to promote "professionalism, best practice, and safety" throughout the maritime industry and represents the interests of its members.