Maritime groups collaborate with Marina on safety, sustainability

Maritime groups collaborate with Marina on safety, sustainability
January 31, 2024 https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/01/31/business/maritime/maritime-groups...

THE Philippine Inter-island Shipping Association (PISA), the Philippine Liner Shipping Association (PLSA), and the Philippine Petroleum Sea Transport Association (Philpesta) convened with the officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to address maritime safety protocols, shipbuilding and environmental sustainability.

Maritime associations discussed maritime safety — especially classification requirements of ships, shipbuilding and ship repair (SBSR) — and marine environment protection during the meeting on January 18.

Marina Administrator Sonia Malaluan stressed the importance of digitalization to streamline compliance monitoring and reduce corruption within the industry. This will create a more transparent and efficient regulatory framework.

The meeting also delved into the challenges associated with shipyard capacity and infrastructure. As demand for SBSR services continues to rise, there is a pressing need to expand the capability of existing shipyards to handle more ships that need to be dry-docked and for ports to receive modern ships.

With 124 SBSR-licensed entities in the Philippines as of 2022, the industry is poised for growth, but concerted efforts are required to ensure that infrastructure developments keep pace with the demand.

Environmental sustainability emerged as another key theme during the discussions.

The implementation of Marina Circular SR-2020-06 was a focal point, particularly its provision mandating compliance with the 0.50 percent m/m fuel oil sulfur content limit for Philippine-registered ships operating in domestic trade by Jan. 1, 2025. This initiative underscores the industry's commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and aligning with global standards for maritime emissions.