PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 1560

AMENDING SECTION 16 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 97, ENTITLED "REGULATING THE PRACTICE OF THE MARINE PROFESSION IN THE PHILIPPINES"

WHEREAS, paragraph (d) of Section 16 regarding requirement for deck officers, of Presidential Decree No. 97, entitled "Regulating the Practice of the Marine Profession in the Philippines," requires an applicant for examination for Third Mate, among others, to have undergone eighteen months of practical apprenticeship which must be served with at least four months on merchant marine vessels of not less than two hundred fifty gross tons registered for foreign trade;

WHEREAS, there are not enough merchant marine vessels of Philippine registry of not less than 250 gross tons registered for foreign trade to accommodate apprentice mates;

WHEREAS, operators of marine vessels engaged in foreign trade generally do not accept apprentice mates on board;

WHEREAS, as long as said requirement for an applicant for examination for Third Mate remains, the number of nautical students who could qualify for examination for Third Mate will be drastically reduced and will eventually result to a shortage of merchant marine officers to man not only our inter-island vessels but also our overseas vessels; and

WHEREAS, the income of our seaman employed on overseas vessels is a large source of dollar for our country;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree:

Section 1. Section sixteen, paragraph (d) of Presidential Decree No. 97 dated January 13, 1973, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 16. Requirements of Deck Officers

x x x           x x x          x x x

"(d) Third Mate Applicant must be a holder of a degree of Bachelor of Science on Marine Transportation major in Navigation and Seamanship after completion of a nautical curriculum of academic and theoretical studies, and twelve months of practical apprenticeship which must be served on merchant marine vessels of not less than two hundred fifty gross tons registered for foreign or coastwise trade to qualify for Third Mate license. The certification of service is issued by the Master and Chief Mate of the vessel and duly authenticated by the ship owner or by the ship representative of the vessel. The apprenticeship shall be under the supervision of a permanent staff of the institution assigned solely for such purpose."

Section 2. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 11th day of June, in the Year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.