BIMCO (Baltic and International Maritime Council)

is the largest of the international shipping associations representing its membership controls around
65 percent of the world’s tonnage and it has members in more than 120 countries, including managers,
brokers and agents. The association’s main objective is to protect its global membership through the
provision of information and advice, and while promoting fair business practices, facilitate harmonisation and
standardization of commercial shipping practices and contracts.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and
promote decent work by setting. It was the first specialised agency of the UN.The ILO has 187 member states: 186 of
the 193 UN member states plus the are members of the ILO. The tripartite structure is unique to the ILO where
representatives from the government, employers and employees openly debate and create labour standards.
The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization. It is the focal
point for International Labour Organization's overall activities, which it prepares under the scrutiny of the Governing
Body and under the leadership of the Director-General.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) 

 The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the that is responsible for measures to
improve the safety and security of and to prevent marine pollution from ships. According to the IMO, the IMO is "the
global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of internatioal shipping." 

Safety Management System (SMS)

A systematic and explicit approach defining the activities by which safety management is undertaken by an
organisation in order to achieve acceptable or tolerable safety.
The objective of a Safety Management System is to provide a structured management approach to control safety risks
in operations. Effective  must take into account the organisation’s specific structures and processes related to safety of
operations.

The safety management system (SMS) is an organized system planned and implemented by the shipping companies
to ensure safety of the ship and marine environment.

International Safety Management (ISM)

The purpose of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code is to provide an international standard for the safe
management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.
The Code's origins go back to the late 1980s, when there was mounting concern about poor management standards in shipping.
Investigations into accidents revealed major errors on the part of management, and in 1987 the IMO Assembly adopted
resolution A.596(15), which called upon the Maritime Safety Committee to develop guidelines concerning shore-based
management to ensure the safe operation of ro-ro passenger ferries.

Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

The maritime industry’s most important concerns are the safety of personnel and prevention of marine pollution for smooth cargo
transportation and marine operation at high seas. To achieve this, the relies on its two very strong pillars: SOLAS & MARPOL – The
International Conventions for safeguarding human life and marine environment from all kinds of pollutions and accidents.

The word SOLAS is an abbreviation and SOLAS full form is “Safety Of Life At Sea”, an international maritime treaty, also known as
SOLAS Convention or International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which establishes the least safety measures
in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships.
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers  (STCW)
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW),
1978 sets minimum qualification standards for , officers and watch personnel on seagoing . STCW was adopted in 1978 by
conference in London, and entered into force in 1984. The Convention was significantly amended in 1995.
The 1978 STCW Convention was the first to establish minimum basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for
seafarers on an international level. Previously the minimum standards of training, certification and watchkeeping of officers and
ratings were established by individual governments, usually without reference to practices in other countries. As a result, minimum
standards and procedures varied widely, even though shipping is extremely international by nature.
The  prescribes minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers which countries are obliged to
meet or exceed.

Maritime Pollution (MARPOL 73/78)

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL 73/78,
MARPOL is short for maritime pollution and 73/78 short for the years 1973 and 1978) is one of the most important international
marine environmental conventions. It was developed by the International Maritime Organization in an effort to minimize pollution of
the oceans and seas, including dumping, oil and air pollution. The objective of this convention is to preserve the marine environment
in an attempt to completely eliminate pollution by oil and other harmful substances and to minimize accidental spillage of such
substances.

The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) is an International Labour Organization convention, number 186, established in
2006 as the fourth pillar of international maritime law and embodies "all up-to-date standards of existing international maritime
labour Conventions and Recommendations, as well as the fundamental principles to be found in other international labour
Conventions".[2] The other "pillars are the SOLAS, STCW and MARPOL. The treaties applies to all ships entering the harbours of
parties to the treaty (port states), as well as to all states flying the flag of state party (flag states, as of 2013: 50 per cent).

The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGs) are published by the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) and set out, among other things, the "rules of the road" or navigation rules to be followed
by ships and other vessels at sea to prevent collisions between two or more vessels.[1][2] COLREGs can also refer to the specific
political line that divides inland waterways, which are subject to their own navigation rules, and coastal waterways which are subject
to international navigation rules. The COLREGs are derived from a multilateral treaty called the Convention on the International
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

The International Convention on Load Lines (CLL), was signed in London on 5 April 1966, amended by the 1988
Protocol and further revised in 2003. The convention pertains specifically to a ship's load line (also referred to as the "waterline"), a
marking of the highest point on a ship's hull that can safely meet the surface of the water; a ship that is loaded to the point where its
load line is underwater and no longer visible has exceeded its draft and is in danger because its capacity has been exceeded.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or
the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place between 1973 and 1982. The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and responsibilities
of nations with respect to their use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the
management of marine natural resources. The Convention, concluded in 1982, replaced four 1958 treaties. UNCLOS came into
force in 1994, a year after Guyana became the 60th nation to ratify the treaty.[1] As of June 2016, 167 countries and the European
Union have joined in the Convention. It is uncertain as to what extent the Convention codifies customary international law.

CHED Memorandum Order 20 Series of 2015

Consolidated Policies, Standard and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science in Maritime Transportation (BSMT) and Marine
Engineering (MarE)

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10635

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY (MARINA) AS THE SINGLE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE 1978 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON STANDARDS OF
TRAINING, CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING FOR SEAFARERS, AS AMENDED, AND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OR
COVENANTS RELATED THERETO
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Declaration of Policy.—The following are hereby declared to be the policies of the State:

(a) The State shall ensure compliance with the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention), as amended; all international agreements implementing or applying the STCW
Convention; and other international maritime safety conventions or agreements that the STCW Convention seeks to promote
compliance with;
(b) The State recognizes the vital contribution of the seafarers to the national economy. Toward this end, the State shall establish
systems and mechanisms for the promotion and protection of the well-being of the seafarers to ensure their professionalism and
competitiveness, both in local and international trade, consistent with existing local labor laws and applicable international laws;
(c) The State shall create a single maritime administrative system and structure that shall provide an enabling environment for the
business of Philippine seafaring; establish appropriate institutional arrangements with other agencies of government; and create an
effective regulatory framework conducive to the efficiency, transparency and competitiveness of the Philippine seafaring industry
consistent with the STCW Convention; and
(d) The State shall harmonize all legal and administrative measures which are taken and provided for by government regulatory
agencies and ensure that such measures are appropriate and consistent with the STCW Convention.
Section 2. Definition of Terms.—As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:

(a) Certificate of competency—a certificate issued to masters, officers and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
radio operators in accordance with the provisions of Chapters II, III, IV or VII of the Annex to the STCW Convention entitling the
lawful holder to serve and perform the functions involved at the level of responsibility specified therein.
(b) Certificate of endorsement—an attestation of the maritime administration as to the authenticity and validity of the certificates,
incorporated in the format of the certificates issued to masters and officers, stating that the issuance of the relevant certificate is in
compliance with the requirements of the STCW Convention.
(c) Certificate of proficiency—a certificate other than a certificate of competency issued to a seafarer, stating that the relevant
requirements of training competencies or seagoing service under the STCW Convention have been met.
(d) Documentary evidence—all the documentation, other than a certificate of competency or certificate of proficiency, used to
establish that the relevant requirements of the STCW Convention have been met.
(e) Maritime administration or single maritime administration—the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), as the single government
agency mandated to ensure complete and effective implementation of the STCW Convention.
(f) Seafarer—any person who is employed, engaged or works onboard seagoing ships, whether or not such ships are engaged in
the domestic or overseas trade, and to whom the STCW Convention applies.
(g) STCW Convention—the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers,
and its subsequent amendments.
Section 3. MARINA as the Single Maritime Administration.—The MARINA, created under Presidential Decree. No. 474, as
amended, shall be the single maritime administration mandated to implement and enforce the 1978 International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. It shall carry out an effective regulatory framework conducive
to the efficiency, transparency and competitiveness of the Philippine seafaring industry.
Section 4. Powers and Functions of the MARINA.—In addition to the mandate of the MARINA under Presidential Decree No. 474,
as amended, and in order to carry out the provisions of this Act, the MARINA shall exercise the following powers and functions:
(a) Act as the single and central maritime administration for all purposes relating to compliance with the STCW Convention.
(b) Administer and ensure the effective implementation of the STCW Convention; including all international conventions or
agreements implementing or applying the same, as well as international maritime safety conventions or agreements that it seeks to
promote compliance with.
(c) Assume all powers and functions of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Health (DOH) and the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) relative to the issuance, validation, verification, correction, revocation or cancellation of
certificates of competency, endorsement, proficiency and documentary evidence required of all seafarers and all such other matters
pertaining to the implementation of the STCW Convention, subject to the following:
(1) The MARINA shall ensure that the examination, licensing and certification system for marine deck and engine officers are in
accordance with the requirements prescribed under the STCW Convention. All powers, duties and functions of the PRC on
examination, licensing and certification system for marine deck and engine officers as provided in Republic Act No. 8544, otherwise
known as "The Philippine Merchant Marine Officers Act of 1998", shall henceforth be exercised by the MARINA. The compensation
and allowances of the Board of Marine Deck Officers and Marine Engine Officers under Article TV, Section 8 of Republic Act No.
8544 shall, however, be comparable to the compensation and allowances being received by the chairpersons and members of other
existing regulatory boards under the PRC and as provided in the General Appropriations Act.

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 474 June 1, 1974

PROVIDING FOR THE REORGANIZATION OF MARITIME FUNCTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES, CREATING THE MARITIME
INDUSTRY AUTHORITY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
WHEREAS, the efficient sea transport of raw materials, products, commodities and people is vital to the growth of the Philippine
economy;

WHEREAS, the functions pertaining to the development and regulation of shipping enterprises are fragmented among various
government agencies, resulting in inadequate and inefficient shipping facilities, dependence on external shipping interests,
maldistribution of commodities, and piece-meal solutions;

WHEREAS, there is imperative need to modernize and expand the Philippine merchant fleet, and to rationalize and improve their
operations in order to make them effective instruments in promoting domestic production, interisland and overseas trade, price
stabilization, and employment generation; lawphi1.net

WHEREAS, it is urgently necessary to provide a strong organizational framework to effect the accelerated and integrated
development and effective regulation of shipping enterprises;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the
Constitution, in order to effect the desired changes and reforms in the social, economic and political structure of our society, do
hereby decree and order that the following be adopted and made part of the laws of the land:

Section 1. Title. This Decree shall be known as the Maritime Industry Decree of 1974.

Section 2. Declaration of Policies and Objectives. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to accelerate the integrated
development of the maritime industry of the Philippines to attain the following objectives: (a) To increase production and productivity
in the various islands and regions of the archipelago through the provision of effective sea linkage; (b) To provide for the
economical, safe, adequate and efficient shipment of raw materials, products, commodities and people; (c) To enhance the
competitive position of Philippine flag vessels in the carriage of foreign trade; (d) To strengthen the balance of payments position by
minimizing the outflow of foreign exchange and increasing dollar earnings; (e) To generate new and more job opportunities.