Gov’t drawing up maritime industry development plan

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Govt drawing up maritime industry development
plan
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the
Department of Transportation (DOTr) to develop
the maritime and aviation sectors to boost the
countrys economy and provide jobs for Filipinos,
according to Officer-in-Charge Press Secretary
Cheloy Garafil.
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Marcos directed the DOTr to draw up a maritime
industry development plan that will develop and
enhance the maritime sector and improve ports to
attract more cruise ship visits that will help
boost the tourism industry, Garafil said in a
press conference on October 11
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She said these orders were given by the President
at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, where DOTr
presented its programs. Garafil noted
transportation is one of the priority sectors of
the administration.
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She said Marcos also directed the Maritime
Industry Authority (MARINA) to address issues on
maritime schools, including ship boarding
requirements of maritime students.
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He ordered MARINA to upgrade the competencies of
Maritime Schools And Trainings to give students
advantage and put them to international
standards to ensure the country remains the top
supplier of seafarers worldwide.
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DOTr Undersecretary for Maritime Elmer Francisco
Sarmiento told PortCalls in a text message that
DOTr and MARINA will be updating the latters
10-year Maritime Industry Development Plan
(MIDP), which will be approved ultimately by the
President.
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In a separate statement, MARINA said it has
committed to the President the updating of its
MIDP and its alignment to the administrations
8-Point Priority Economic Agenda.
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MARINAs MIDP 2019-2028 initially launched in
2017 and updated last year is a decade-long
roadmap aimed at accelerating the development of
a nationally integrated and globally competitive
Philippine maritime industry.
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The MIDP 2019-2028 is the first comprehensive
effort to understand and address the Philippine
maritime sectors core problem and its underlying
causes in order to plan and implement programs
that better meet the demands of the maritime
industry, successfully address key challenges,
and lead to seizing of opportunities in both
Domestic And Global Arenas.
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Under Presidential Decree No. 474 (Maritime
Industry Decree of 1974), the maritime agency
should create master plans for the industry. The
last 10-year roadmap drawn up by MARINA was in
the 1980s.
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Marcos also ordered a review of unsolicited
project proposals for existing airports and to
build new ones in various areas of the country.
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DOTr had earlier said it eyeing private sector
participation in rehabilitating NAIA.
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On October 10, Transportation Secretary Jaime
Bautista told media forum that nine ongoing
regional airport projects worth close to P1
trillion are set for completion in 2023. He said
there are 10 other regional airports that the
DOTr plans to upgrade, expand, and operate under
the public-private partnership scheme, as well as
four regional airports that the agency plans to
build. Roumina Pablo
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For more information about Phillipines Ports and
Shipping, visit https//www.picsi.com.ph/