Lawmakers urged to tackle MARINA manpower shortage

Lawmakers urged to tackle MARINA manpower shortage
Jonnavie Villa - August 2, 2026 | https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2026/08/02/2546465/lawmak...

CEBU, Philippines — Shipowners under the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association (PCSA) on Friday urged Congress to help address the Maritime Industry Authority's (MARINA) manpower shortage, warning that a lack of inspectors has delayed vessel inspections, document processing, and the deployment of ships across the country.

The appeal was made during the PCSA General Membership Meeting themed "One Maritime Vision: Connecting Government and Industry for a Resilient Domestic Shipping Sector," attended by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Committee on Transportation Chairperson Rep. Franz Pumaren, Vice Chairperson Rep. Reynante Arrogancia, and other lawmakers and maritime stakeholders in Cebu.

PCSA Chairman Lucio Lim Jr. called on lawmakers to champion legislative initiatives that would help address what he described as a growing manpower crisis within MARINA, stressing that the agency's limited workforce is already affecting the efficiency of the domestic shipping industry.

"We hope that in the presence of these three members of the House of Representatives, they will be our champions in the Congress for initiatives and to solve our concerns and the challenges that our industry is facing," Lim said.

He said the shortage has slowed down inspections and processing of shipping documents, causing operational bottlenecks even when vessels are already prepared for departure.

"As you all know, this has led to delays in the inspections, processing of documents, and sometimes ships are already ready to sail, but we have to be waiting for MARINA because of the severe lack of personnel," he said.

Lim noted that despite the continuous growth of the domestic shipping industry over the past decade, MARINA's workforce has barely increased.

According to him, MARINA had about 1,100 personnel in 2016 but only around 1,200 in 2026 despite the expansion of its responsibilities.

He added that around 40 percent of the agency's workforce consists of job-order personnel, while only 152 serve as inspectors and surveyors responsible for overseeing about 24,000 vessels.

"With a fleet of 24,000, I'm sure that we all understand how this is really impacting us," Lim said.

He also pointed out that MARINA is expected to assume additional responsibilities related to maritime education, making it even more urgent for the agency to receive additional manpower and resources.

Beyond manpower concerns, Lim appealed for a review of the implementation of international maritime conventions on domestic shipping operations, saying standards intended primarily for international vessels have significantly increased operating costs for local shipowners.

He said conventions such as the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), Maritime Labour Convention, and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code were originally crafted for international shipping and should be evaluated for their application to the domestic fleet.

"And this has increased the cost of doing business for ship owners here in the Philippines," Lim said.

The PCSA likewise appealed for temporary relief from selected Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) charges, including passenger terminal, berthing, and roll-on/roll-off terminal fees, saying these account for only a small portion of the agency's revenues but could provide substantial relief to shipping operators during difficult economic conditions.

Lim also urged government agencies to simplify port and vessel clearance procedures, particularly those involving the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), saying current requirements consume manpower and contribute to delays in vessel departures.

He said the association has already discussed with Coast Guard officials the possibility of simplifying departure clearance procedures, initially for cargo vessels, to allow personnel to focus on higher-priority maritime safety functions.

Another concern raised by the group was the condition of road networks linking ports, particularly in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, which, Lim said, have deteriorated in recent years despite improvements in the country's overall highway connectivity.

He also reiterated the association's long-standing proposal to eventually remove the roll-on/roll-off terminal fee, arguing that RoRo ports function as extensions of the national highway system and should facilitate, rather than add to, the cost of transporting goods between islands.

Responding to the industry's concerns, Pumaren said the House Committee on Transportation is pursuing several legislative measures aimed at strengthening the country's maritime sector while ensuring public safety and improving operational efficiency.

Among these are proposals to modernize the PCG, establish an independent National Transportation Safety Board, amend the Domestic Shipping Development Act of 2004, reform pilotage services, modernize MARINA, and strengthen the Philippine Ship Registry.

Pumaren acknowledged that efficient government services are essential to the maritime industry's growth. He said regulatory delays affect the entire shipping sector.

"MARINA sits at the center of vessel registration, certification, inspection, seafaring documentation, marine safety, and industry development. If MARINA systems are slow, fragmented, or outdated, the whole maritime sector feels it," he said.

He said Congress aims to strike a balance between public safety and industry competitiveness, emphasizing that every regulation carries economic consequences for operators and consumers alike.

"We will modernize agencies without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. We will listen to small island provinces and ordinary commuters, but also to operators who must keep the vessels running, employees paid, and routes served," Pumaren said.

Pumaren also emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between Congress, maritime regulators, and industry stakeholders. He said meaningful reforms can only be achieved through continued dialogue and practical policy solutions. — (FREEMAN)