Japan to provide skills training for RP seafarers
A Memorandum of Agreement was sealed between the Philippines and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
According to the DOLE press report, the Memorandum of Cooperation and Development of Asian Seafarers sealed the agreement to provide for the training of Filipino seafarers under the International Cooperative Training Project for Asian Seafarers.
Secretary Marianito Roque signed the MOA with Minister Kazuyoshi Kaneko of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, recently.
Roque said the project would help address the global shortage of skilled seafarers and qualified officers by training and upgrading the skills of Filipino seafarers.
The DOLE press report disclosed that, the DOLE Secretary while in Japan also represented the country along with tripartite partners from the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines and the Philippine-Japan Consultative Council, at the Philippine-Japan Seafarer Policy Forum to seek for the preservation of the jobs of over 40,000 Filipino seafarers employed in the Japanese vessels.
Secretary Roque thanked the Japan Seaman’s Union for its willingness to study the possibility of giving livelihood assistance for Filipino seafarers who may be affected by the global economic crisis, the DOLE press report disclosed. (PIA6/T.Villavert)