Manila Hotel (PIA) -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. gave the keynote speech during the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 held today at The Manila Hotel in the City of Manila.
The Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 aims to highlight the Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) 2028 formulated by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) in coordination with relevant government agencies and key stakeholders.
The Philippines through MIDP aims to achieve two (2) core objectives: ensure the development and expansion of the Philippine merchant fleet, and ensure the advancement of future-ready maritime human capital.
The MIDP covers eight priority programs that focus on the enhancement of maritime transport security; promotion of environmentally sustainable maritime industry; implementation of maritime innovation and digitalization; expansion of domestic and overseas shipping industry; promotion of competitive workforce; promotion of shipbuilding and ship repair industry; and adoption of efficient maritime administration governance system.
During his speech, President Marcos also lauded the commitment of the Filipino seafarers for bringing honor and pride to the country. The Philippines is the world's primary source of maritime manpower, constituting 25% of global seafarers, bringing in a total of $6.5 billion in remittances in 2022.
The President also expressed gratitude to the officials and members of the country's domestic and overseas shipping, shipbuilding, and ship repair sectors. Nearly 16,000 registered domestic ships are plying the nearly 1,300 inter-island shipping routes across the country as of December 31, 2022.
Similarly, there are almost a hundred Philippine-registered overseas ships, which yielded P30.75 million in tax collections in 2022. For local shipbuilding and ship repair sectors, there are 116 MARINA-registered shipyards across the country as of 2021.
President Marcos is also encouraging all government institutions and key stakeholders to collaborate and cooperate to ensure the continued growth and development of the maritime sector. He also urged all concerned agencies to pursue a whole-of-government approach for the effective implementation of the MIDP 2028, as well as to continue communicating with member-states of the International Maritime Organization and the European Union Committee on Safe Seas.
"While we already hold a dominant position in the world of global shipping, I certainly believe that we can do more, especially here at home. We already hold the most vital ingredient to success, which is our seafarers. All we need to do now is to ensure that we harness their knowledge, make use of their experience and mobilize our local industries to build an even stronger domestic maritime industry for the benefit of our people," he said.
PBBM also assured his administration's unqualified support in building a more progressive, sustainable, and resilient Philippine maritime sector that will be looked upon by the region and the rest of the world. "Together, let us synergize all our efforts and harness the potential of this event and of the MIDP 2028. This to provide better opportunities for our fellow Filipinos, to build a more progressive, sustainable, and resilient maritime sector," he added.
The Philippine Information Agency will support the implementation of the MIDP 2028 by providing communication support to inform stakeholders and the public of the plans and goals of the Philippine maritime industry. (CNS/PIA).
