Marina puts finishing touches on ten-year maritime development agenda

Marina puts finishing touches on ten-year maritime development agenda
Lorenz S. Marasigan -October 19, 2018 https://businessmirror.com.ph/marina-puts-finishing-touches-on-ten-year-...

The government is close to completing its decadelong maritime industry development program, an initiative that will serve as a blueprint to achieving higher growth across different sectors of the country’s maritime industry.

Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Planning and Policy Service Director Emmanuel Carpio said his group has reviewed and finalized the priority programs and projects with detailed result frameworks of the agenda “highlighting the impacts, indicators and target outcomes relative to: the planned establishment of the maritime industrial hub, the Marina’s role in the development of the Philippine nautical system, as well as the country’s coastal and inland waterways, fishing, maritime tourism, maritime safety, maritime security, and maritime information and communication.”

He added his group will submit the primer for the program to the Marina top management next week for further refinement.

“While it may be true that we do have plans in the past, those are either short or indefinite plans that do not sufficiently reflect the mandate of the Marina as maritime administration,” he admitted.

“As part of it, we have to commit and adhere by its mandate pursuant to the objectives of its creation, which is to prepare and annually update a 10-year maritime industry development program that contains a rational and integrated development of the maritime industry,” he noted.

The blueprint for all maritime industry-related activities, both promotional and developmental, is expected to be done within the year, according to Marina Administrator Leonardo B. Guerrero.

It covers four sectors in the industry—domestic shipping, overseas shipping, maritime manpower, and shipbuilding and repair. It also includes emerging subsectors, such as maritime tourism, fishing and logistics.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency has extended its assistance to Marina in drafting the said road map.

Roughly, the road map, which is required of Marina under Presidential Decree 474 of 1974, is expected to include globally proven strategies on how to further grow each sector and subsector under the maritime industry.

It shall also contain revitalized and reengineered strategic directions and action plans responsive to existing conditions, in anticipation of future challenges in the maritime industry, both in the domestic and global arena.