PSTC under fire for anomalous
conduct of training
A LEADING maritime training center is now in hot water
after one of its former instructors exposed anomalies and is set to file
charges against the institution.
The Philippine Seafarers Training Center (PSTC), according
to Capt. Wilfredo Turla, a former instructor, has committed anomalies by
exceeding the number of students per class and conducting training for
two different courses in one class. He said that this is a gross violation
of rules on seafarers’ training under the Maritime Training Council.
Turla, who brought his case to the MTC on December 12,
2000, said he will be preparing formal charges against PSTC, located at
Recto Ave. in Manila.
He also told MTC assistant executive director lawyer
Alexandroso Cruje that PSTC is involved in falsification of public documents.
During said meeting held at MTC, Cruje told Turla to formalize
his complaints.
His letter-complaint was earlier forwarded to MTC Executive
Director Lorna Fajardo and UFS president Nelson Ramirez. In the letter,
he expressed concern for fellow seafarers, who might have lost or continue
to lose job opportunities due to incompetence as a result of poor or lack
of training.
The letter-complaint resulted into the formal meeting
between Turla and Cruje, where a representative of MTC was also called
to answer the allegations of the former instructor.
After the meeting, Turla said he was disappointed to learn
that “all MTC did was to ask for an explanation from PSTC.”
Turla, who started to teach at PSTC in 1997, resigned
in April 2000 after he “could no longer stomach the unscrupulous practices
of the training center.”
He told Tinig Ng Marino that under his GTF (General Tanker
Familiarization ) class, which includes a portion of Marine Pollution or
Marpol, Crude Oil Washing or COW and Inert Gas System or IGS, he had students
taking COW and IGS at the same time. The two subjects, he said, should
be specialized since these are not discussed in full detail under the GTF
class. He said GTF is only a familiarization.
He had also trainees who attended Marpol I and got credited
as having attended Marpol II, “when in fact, the lessons were focused more
on Marpol I.”
He said he felt sorry for trainees who were able to secure
Certificate of Attendance for each course they didn’t attend. “Thus,the
PSTC must have been submitting a false OLTE or Official List of Trainees
Enrolled,” he added, showing an envelope full of PSTC attendance sheets
to prove his point.
Turla noticed the alleged anomalies from the very first
time he got hold of the attendance sheets of his classes. He kept mum about
it at first. He told his fellow instructors about the matter, but his allegations
fell on “people who didn’t care.”
This, he said, prompted him to confront the center’s
training director Capt. David Dairo, who allegedly failed to act on his
complaint.
When Mr. Rene Palomo became PSTC’s vice president in 1999,
Turla brought his observations to Palomo’s attention. The official, he
said, promised him “to try to reform the system.” However, Turla claimed
that nothing happened.
A few months after his meeting with Palomo, Turla was
issued a reprimand by Dairo for his alleged “rude attitude and negative
remarks against the center based on the complaints filed by trainees under
Marpol 73/78 against him.” Attached to the memo was a letter signed by
10 of his 24 trainees. He allegedly remarked , in one of his classes, that:
“Lahat dito fake.”
The students also appealed to the management of PSTC to
replace Turla.
He denied the charges and sought an apology from both
the center and the students. Turla alleged the PSTC management is
obviously trying to ease him out.
When Tinig tried to get PSTC’s side, Palomo said over
the phone that Turla might have been sour-graping because the center ran
out of class schedules for him during the second semester due to the decrease
in the number of enrollees.
Turla contended that Palomo’s reason was immaterial, as
he (Turla) was holding evidences against the institution for its alleged
anomalies. He added that when he joined PSTC, he was given definite time
to teach but he was asked lately by Abuid to extend his teaching hours
which prompted him to finally give up his job.
Tinig tried to get the side of PSTC on the anomalies
charged by Turla, but Palomo said he has no authority to answer.
The PSTC president, on the other hand, refused to talk
to Tinig, despite repeated calls. |
