ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 56 -
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE SEAFARERS' ONE STOP PROCESSING CENTER
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State to
afford full protection to Filipino seafarers and their families,
promote their interests, and safeguard their well-being;
WHEREAS, increasing competition among source countries of seafarers,
the changing needs and demands of the industry, and advent of new
shipping technologies require more responsive programs that will
address the issues of competitiveness and the promotion of seafarers'
rights;
WHEREAS, the Philippines is a party to the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) Convention on the Standards for Training,
Certification and Waterkeeping (STCW '95) which prescribes minimum
parameters for the training and certification of seafarers;
WHEREAS, a number of government agencies are mandated to address the
needs and requirements of the seafarers to the end that more integrated
and harmonized set of systems and procedures for implementation by
these agencies would ensure a more timely and efficient delivery of
services;
WHEREAS, Filipino seafarers have a right to quality and affordable
education and training to prepare them for new and emerging challenges
in the practice of their profession and skills;
WHEREAS, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, in the
exercise of her executive powers and in pursuance of her duties as
administrative head of the government, may initiate or prescribe
measures that relate to particular aspects of government operations; and
WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 45, Series of 2002, designates the
Office of the Vice-President to oversee and supervise agreed
development programmes, including the Seafarers' Welfare Program.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the power vested in me by law, do hereby
order:
Section 1. Philippine Seafarers' One-Stop Center
(PSOC). — There is hereby created a Philippine Seafarers' One-Stop
Center (PSOC), under the supervision of the Department of Labor and
Employment, where relevant government agencies engaged in the promotion
of the interests and well-being of Filipino seafarers shall be
represented to efficiently respond to the needs of Filipino Seafarers.
In the exigencies of the service and where physical representation of a
government agency in the subject center may not be necessary, the
services of these agencies should nonetheless be made available through
electronic means or other alternative mechanisms that may be put on
site.
The PSOC shall adopt and utilize appropriate mechanisms, facilities,
equipment and information technology to enable and allow it to respond
to the magnitude of Filipino seafarers' concerns and demands.
The head of the PSOC shall have experience and qualifications relevant
to the maritime industry, and shall be designated by the Secretary of
DOLE from among the career officials of the DOLE and/or its attached
agencies, to oversee the operations of the Center and ensure the
delivery of efficient and quality service for the seafarers and their
families.
Sec. 2. Representatives of Relevant Government
Agencies. — The following government agencies shall establish public
assistance kiosks in the PSOC and assign their respective personnel
thereat toward integrating all documentation-related services of
agencies concerned in one facility. The agencies that are mandated to
provide services in the PSOC are as follows:
(a)
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
(b) Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
(c) Commission
on Higher Education (CHED)
(d)
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)
(e) National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC)
(f) Philippine
Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
(g) Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)
(h) Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
(i) Maritime
Industry Authority (MARINA)
(j) National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
(k) Social
Security System (SSS)
(l) Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH)
(m) National
Statistics Office (NSO)
(n) Such other
government agencies that the Secretary of DOLE may deem necessary
Sec. 3. Powers and Functions. — The DOLE, together
with the agencies enumerated in Sec. 2 hereof, shall establish and
operationalize the PSOC not later than three (3) months from the
effectivity of this Administrative Order.
The PSOC shall have the following functions:
(a)
Operationalize and make available to the public, an integrated document
processing center, which shall be physically located in one site
towards reducing the time required on the part of the seafarers and the
general public for official transactions;
(b) Provide
rationalized and streamlined systems and procedures governing the
application for and acquisition of documents required by seafarers for
their deployment overseas;
(c) Automatic,
whenever feasible, the process involved in the transaction and delivery
of public services;
(d) Implement
pertinent government rules and regulations relative to the mandates of
the agencies constituting the PSOC, and
(e) Develop
appropriate guidelines for the delivery of services at the PSOC.
The PSOC shall likewise ensure
the following:
(a)
Simplification of systems and procedures and reduction of paper
requirements to facilitate the deployment of seafarers;
(b)
Implementation of the full disclosure policy;
(c) Adoption
of a computerized and integrated system of registration of Filipino
seafarers;
(d)
Elimination of unnecessary and duplicative requirements that go beyond
the provisions of the STCW '95; and
(e)
Development and implementation of an effective information program, in
coordination with manning or crewing agencies, and seafarers'
organizations or unions, for the purpose of informing the seafarers of
their rights, obligations, benefits and options attending to specific
situations that they may face in the course of their employment.
Sec. 4. Policy and Program Review to Promote
Competitiveness. — The CHED, PRC, TESDA, MARINA and Maritime Training
Council, and the PSOC shall undertake a periodic review of their
policies, regulations and programs to ensure competitiveness and
excellence among seafarers and shall submit a comprehensive report
within six (6) months from effectivity of this Administrative Order and
every year thereafter to the Office of the Vice President, containing
information on measures undertaken and specific recommendations to
address existing issues and concerns relevant to Filipino seafarers.
Such review of policies, regulations, and programmes shall be
undertaken in consultation with various stakeholders in the maritime
industry.
Sec. 5. Reportorial Requirement. — The PSOC,
through the DOLE, shall submit a report to the Office of the Vice
President, within six (6) months upon effectivity of this order on the
extent and status of streamlining processes pertinent to the operations
of the PSOC and the specific mandates of its member agencies relevant
to the promotion of Filipino seafarers' interests.
Sec. 6. Funding Provisions. — Funding which shall
in no case be less than twenty-five million pesos (P25,000,000.00),
shall be provided to the DOLE for the operations of the PSOC during its
initial year of operation, from available sources of funds from the
Office of the President and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming
Corporation. The funding requirements of the PSOC thereafter shall be
integrated in the General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 7. Repealing Clause. — All administrative
orders, proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are
in conflict with this Administrative Order are hereby repealed and/or
modified accordingly.
Sec. 8. Effectivity. — This Administrative Order
shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 24th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, two thousand three.
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