DZMJ Online Season 18 Episode 7 is at the Maritime Industry Authority in an interview with Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade where he says that passenger boats with wooden hull should be replaced or phased out for safety reasons.

DOTr, maritime sector hold Maritime Safety Summit for Domestic Shipping

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – To identify and resolve maritime safety and marine environment protection issues and challenges, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached maritime sector agencies including the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) held the Maritime Safety Summit for Domestic Shipping today, 30 August 2019.

With the theme “Creating a Culture of Safer People, Safer Ships and Cleaner Environment,” the summit served as an avenue to discuss the safety of Philippine domestic shipping industry and to ensure the participation of stakeholders in identifying strategies and measures to address maritime safety challenges, and agree to support its eventual implementation.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said that the government cannot fully uphold maritime safety without the cooperation of private partners and stakeholders.

“I hope magkaroon ‘ho ng matamis at magandang bunga itong summit na ito para sa kapakanan ng bayan, para sa kapakanan ng mga mananakay, at sa kapakanan ng mga gumagamit ng karagatan. Let safety not be a matter of convention, symposium, or fora. Safety should be a day-to-day matter of concern, a matter of attitude, and a matter of culture and advocacy.” Tugade said.

For his part, MARINA OIC – Administrator Vice Admiral Narciso A Vingson Jr emphasized that the concept of a nationally integrated and globally competitive maritime industry is the effective integration of all stakeholder policies, plans, programs, operations, and resources in terms of geographical, spatial, functional, and institutional dimensions.

“As champions of domestic shipping in the country, the whole maritime sector plays a very significant role in ensuring that people, goods and cargoes are transported safely, securely and on time, without sacrificing our marine resources in the process,” Vice Admiral Vingson said.

Vice Admiral Vingson encouraged the whole of maritime sector to talk and act together for the growth and development of our maritime industry – one that is safe, efficient and modern; one that upholds a culture of safer people, safer ships, and cleaner environment.

Maritime agencies’ contributions on maritime safety

The MARINA presented its roadmap for the enhancement of maritime safety, specifically the issues and concerns, followed by proper interventions of its “ship safety process” — the ship acquisition, ship deployment, and the ship retirement.

Moreover, the PPA shared its “one ticketing system” that will provide convenience and benefits to the users of the port through online services and ease of doing business. Getting rid of fixers and scalpers while instituting port process improvement for maritime safety and security were also introduced.

Finally, the PCG highlighted their contributions in enhancing the maritime safety and security enforcement and protection of marine environment through fluvial parades, responses to grounding accidents, vessel safety enforcement inspections, pre-departure inspections, and calibration activity with MARINA.

PHILIPPINES TO HOST SECOND HIGH-LEVEL REGIONAL MEETING ON MEPSEAS

Bringing together heads of maritime agencies from participating International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States, the Philippines, through the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), will host the Second High-Level Regional Meeting on Marine Environment Protection of the Southeast Asian Seas (MEPSEAS) in Manila, Philippines on 27 to 29 August 2019.

The IMO and the MEPSEAS International Consultants will lead the session and will provide updates regarding the MEPSEAS Project website, initial steps undertaken to capacitate countries in implementing the provisions and requirement of the Conventions, results of Train the Trainers (TTT) held in Singapore last 28 to 30 May 2019, and initial delivery of the training modules covering the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, Anti-Fouling System (AFS) Convention and MARPOL Annex V.

Delegates from the participating beneficiary countries will likewise present the development and adoption of their respective National Action Plans (NAPs), including successes and challenges in completing the NAP activities related to the accession of the chosen IMO Conventions.

Moreover, the strategic partners will present relevant activities and programs, which support the objectives of the MEPSEAS Project, and will also explore possible areas of collaboration and modalities by which to pursue cooperation.

The Second High-Level Regional Meeting will be attended by delegates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as strategic partners from the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), Women in Maritime – Asia and Philippines, Tokyo MOU Regional Port State Control Organization, ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group Chair’s representative, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and Maritime Technology Cooperation Center (MTCC) Asia.

As host country, the Philippine delegation will be composed of representatives from different departments and agencies that are identified important in giving full and complete effect to the Conventions. They are the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), MARINA, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Cebu Port Authority (CPA), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environment Management Bureau (DENR – EMB), DENR – Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR – BMB), Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, Office of the President – Presidential Legislative Affairs, Filipino Shipowners Association, and International Maritime Association of the Philippines.

The MEPSEAS Project is a 4-year project (2018-2021) of the IMO in cooperation with the Norwegian Agency for the Development (NORAD) providing assistance to East Asian countries in ratifying and implementing IMO Instruments for the protection of the marine environment. It aims to reduce the risks and impacts of environmental issues related to maritime transport in the ASEAN region. It supports the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 – to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.

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