International classification society Bureau Veritas has certified Philippines-based manning agency Maryville Manila Inc for compliance to the Maritime Labor Convention MLC2006 on a voluntary basis. This is the first manning agency to be certified by Bureau Veritas in the Philippines.

Claude Maillot, VP Ships in Service Management, Bureau Veritas, says, “The readiness of Maryville Manila Inc. to move towards voluntary compliance and certification under MLC2006 in advance of the convention coming into force demonstrates both the quality of the organization and the forward thinking of its management. We have so far certified one seafarer manning office in the UK and its branch office in India, two in Greece and we have published a Guidance Note (NI 563) to facilitate the certification process. We expect other manning offices be looking for certification before the convention enters into force, probably next year.”

Emmanuel Danion, Bureau Veritas Country Chief Executive, Philippines, says, “Maryville Manila Inc is a leader in good manning practice in the Philippines and we are pleased that they chose Bureau Veritas to audit their systems to the new requirements of MLC2006. The Filipino manning industry is very important both here in the Philippines and as the biggest resource of skilled manpower for global shipping. It is most important that manning agencies are forward looking and ready to comply with global standards, as Maryville is.”