This refers to the First Time Job Seekers Assistance Act of 2019. It has been recently disclosed that the availability of the free COP from MARINA will start March 9, 2020.
This is obviously a huge help to the newbies in the industry. Read this blog and find out the requirements, processes and eligibility to this service.
Who are eligible to avail?
If you qualify for this requirements, then you can avail of the free COP from MARINA.
However, there’s an exemption. Those who already availed of other services like the Jobstart program that gives similar exemption of documents in this law, is not eligible for this program.
What are the requirements?
The free COP only covers the Basic Training (BT) COP and the Seafarers with Designated Security Duties (SDSD) COP.
After you have all these in your possession, you can already apply for a free COP via MISMO.
RELATED: Tips that aspiring seafarers must remember
Free COP Application via MISMO
As a general reminder, all Filipino seafarer must have this account in order to process STCW certificates.
So for those who will create this account for the first time, go get a Seafarer’s Record Book or Seaman’s Book first.
Log in to your MISMO account at https://online-appointment.marina.gov.ph. Don’t have MISMO yet? Click here to get one.
Complete your profile and keep it up to date. Then, click Select Transactions button.
Then, select Certification, choose Regular then tick Issuance. It is only in the Issuance that you can avail this free COP from MARINA.
To make it a one transaction only, just click the Add Certification button. Don’t forget to tick the declaration.. and finally, the Proceed button.
Next is to upload all the necessary requirements as needed below.
Please refer to above requirements. Upload as necessary and don’t forget to cap the file size of your documents to less than 1MB. Once done, click Submit button.
As the online evaluation has now been removed, proceed to choose the date and time of your appointment. Most MARINA Offices in the region now has the capability to cater COP applications.
Final Evaluation and Releasing
Since this service is free, the applicant can just proceed to the MARINA branch of his/her choice indicated in the appointment.
After the MARINA personnel verifies the requirements of the applicant, the free COP in BT and SDSD will now be released.
Read the full circular here.