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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved implementation of the 10-year updated Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028
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Executive Order No. 55 adopts the plan as the country’s whole-of- nation roadmap for the integrated development of the maritime industry
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MIDP 2028 calls for the modernization and expansion of the domestic shipping industry; promotion and expansion of the overseas shipping industry; modernization, promotion, and expansion of the shipbuilding and ship repair industry; and promotion of highly-skilled and competitive maritime workforce
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the 10-year updated Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028 (MIDP).
Executive Order No. 55, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on February 8, adopts the MIDP 2028 as the country’s whole-of-nation roadmap for the integrated development of the maritime industry.
The EO noted that in order to “fully realize our potential as a maritime nation, the country requires a clearly defined and coordinated roadmap that shall accelerate the integrated development of the Philippine Maritime Industry.”
MIDP 2028 calls for the modernization and expansion of the domestic shipping industry; promotion and expansion of the overseas shipping industry; modernization, promotion, and expansion of the shipbuilding and ship repair industry; and promotion of highly-skilled and competitive maritime workforce.
It also seeks to enhance maritime transport safety and security, promote environmentally sustainable maritime industry; and implement a sustainable maritime innovation, transformation, digitalization and knowledge center.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in a statement welcomed approval of MIDP 2028, saying this “underscores the commitment of the Philippine government to harness the full potential of our maritime industry for national development.”
It added: “MARINA recognizes the crucial role of the MIDP in charting the course towards a robust and sustainable maritime sector. The plan’s focus on enhancing the Philippine Merchant Fleet, expanding domestic and overseas shipping industries, and promoting a skilled maritime workforce aligns perfectly with our goals of economic growth and global competitiveness.”
MARINA administrator Sonia Malaluan earlier said the roadmap covers 120 projects and activities as well as a list of enabling legislation that will help support the objectives of the MIDP.
Under EO 55, the MARINA Board must adopt a system for the effective implementation, monitoring and review of the MIDP and its component programs.
An MIDP Technical Board (TB) will be created to assist the MARINA Board in implementing, monitoring, updating and reviewing the roadmap. The MIDP TB will be composed initially of MARINA Board representatives with rank not lower than assistant secretary or its equivalent. The Board may also invite or enjoin participation of other relevant agencies or instrumentalities as additional members, whenever necessary in the performance and functions of the MIDP TB.
The Board may also create technical working groups based on the component programs of the MIDP, consisting of representatives from government agencies with relevant mandates.
The MIDP is a decade-long roadmap launched in 2017. It began implementation in mid-2019 but this was suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Revisions were made since 2021 and final updating was made at the start of 2023, primarily to ensure consistency with the latest Philippine Development Plan 2022-2028 and the National Transport Policy, and its alignment with the socioeconomic agenda of the new administration. The updated version was formally launched in February 2023.
The creation of the roadmap is in compliance with Presidential Decree No. 474 (Maritime Industry Decree of 1974), which directs MARINA to create master plans for the industry. The last 10-year roadmap created by MARINA was in the 1980s. – Roumina Pablo
