By Alec Go
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday, Feb. 2, that it signed an agreement with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regarding the monitoring of maritime students’ shipboard training.
Under the deal signed by PCG Commandant CG Admiral Artemio Abu and CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III, a database will be developed by CHED on student trainees on board domestic ships.
The data will come from Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs), which will be sent to a regional office of CHED where the MHEI is based.
The PCG said it will conduct interviews with cadets and Shipboard Training Officers (STOs) to ensure that there is proper training, and to check if a training schedule is followed.
It will also look at whether the trainees are onto ship works related to their training program.
The validation of the actual number of on-board cadets will be done by the PCG in accordance with rules provided by the Maritime Industry Authority.
“The PCG shall also ensure that only the cadets physically present on board are reflected on the official crew list to counter some practices in which some cadets are serving in their shore-based offices instead of serving on board,” the PCG said.
The PCG’s findings will be relayed to CHED. – gb
