The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has significantly improved its service efficiency, streamlining the processing of seafarer certificates. In 2024, MARINA received an average of 4,000 applications daily and processed 3,000, according to records from the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping Office (STCWO).

This marks a major improvement from 2019 to early 2024, when seafarers applying for regular processing had to wait 2-3 months for an evaluation schedule, with processing taking an additional 2-3 days. While expedited applications were processed within the day, they still required an in-person visit.

Since 15 February 2022, MARINA has fully transitioned to online application, evaluation, and electronic certificate issuance, eliminating long queues and reducing processing costs by 50%.
The improved system now ensures:

✅ Regular Processing: Evaluation on the scheduled date, process within 5-7 working days, and release within one day from payment
✅ Expedited Processing: Evaluation within one (1) hour, release within two (2) hours from payment

The 2 to 3 months waiting time persisted until early 2024, transitioning to an online application and processing system where users, both seafarers and processors in MARINA were still familiarizing themselves in the use of the digital system. Encoding of data also proved to be challenging during the initial stages of the system implementation.

MARINA’s digital transformation has made the certification process faster, more convenient, and cost-efficient, easing the burden on Filipino seafarers while enhancing overall maritime efficiency.

View photos here