Palalakasin ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ang maritime industry sa bansa.
Sa talumpati ng Pangulo sa Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 sa Manila Hotel, sinabi nito na dapat nang gawing prayoridad ng pamahalaan ang maritime industry.
“Given that the Philippines is a maritime nation, I believe that it is time for us to make the maritime industry once again a top priority. 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,” pahayag ng Pangulo.
Sabi ng Pangulo, kailangan pang palakasin ng pamahalaan ang kaalaman at karanasan ng mga seafarer sa bansa.
“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.So, I encourage all government institutions and key stakeholders to collaborate, to cooperate to ensure the continued growth and development of this extremely important sector,” pahayag ng Pangulo.
Pinahahalagahan din ng Pangulo ang Maritime Industry Development Plan or MIDP para sa taong 2028.
Saklaw nito ang walong priority programs na kinabibilangan ng maritime transport safety and security; pagtataguyod ng environmental sustainability; implementasyon ng digitalization; modernizing, upgrading, at expanding ng domestic and overseas shipping industries kasama na ang local shipbuilding at ship repair industry; pagtataguyod ng highly skilled at competitive maritime workforce; at pagpapatupad ng effective and efficient maritime administration governance system.
“I also urge all concerned agencies to pursue a whole-of-government approach to effectively implement 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,” pahayag ng Pangulo.
“As the leader, I assure you that this administration will give its unqualified support in your aspirations of building a Philippine maritime industry that will be looked upon with admiration by the region and the rest of the world,” dagdag ng Pangulo.
Una nang nagrereklamo ang European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) dahil karamihan sa mga Filipino seafarers ang hindi nakapapasa sa kanilang pamantayan.
Ayon sa Pangulo, noong taong 2022, ang Pilipinas ang primary source ng maritime manpower sa buong mundo.
Nangangahulugan ito ng 25 percent ng global seafarers.
Pumapalo sa USD6.71 billion ang remittances ng mga Filipino seafarers.
“With that being said, I laud the commitment of our Filipino seafarers to bring honor and pride once again to the country. They do this by providing quality service across the globe and contributing to our nation-building efforts,” pahayag ng Pangulo.
Sabi ng Pangulo, base sa talaan noong Dec. 31, 2022, nasa 16,000 registered domestic sea vessels ang bumibiyahe sa 1,300 inter- island shipping routes sa bansa.
Nasa 100 naman ang Philippine- registered overseas ships kung saan umabot sa Php30.75 million ang naging tax collections ng bansa noong 2022
Nasa 116 naman ang MARINA registered shipyards sa bansa.
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