Philippine Congress is sending clear signals to the European Commission (EC) that the government will live up to its commitment by providing needed financial support to correct the identified shortcomings in its maritime education and training and certification system of Filipino seafarers.

In a statement released by Sen. Grace Poe on November 17, 2022, she lauded EC for giving the Philippines time to work on these shortcomings contained in the EC Assessment Report (ECAR) during the plenary deliberations of the Senate on the budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) including the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina). ECAR was based on the findings from the latest audit conducted by European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).