Maritime regulator working to ensure adoption of international safety, energy efficiency norms

THE Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and partner agencies like the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Ports Authority said on Thursday that they are working with international organizations, including the World Bank Group and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to ensure compliance with best practices on safety and energy efficiency in passenger ships.

Apart from IMO and the World Bank, other organizations supporting the effort are consultants from the World Maritime University, based in Malmo, Sweden, and the UK’s University of Strathclyde.

“The overarching goal of this activity is to further observe and understand the natural and current setting of the Philippine maritime industry at the ground level, particularly the domestic passenger shipping operations through field visits and interviews,” MARINA said.

“Included in the field mission are naval architecture schools, boatbuilders, passenger vessel owners/operators, passenger ship terminals and ports culminating with a debriefing on the findings and detailed results of the field visit,” MARINA said. — Arjay L. Balinbin