APEC Secretariat, Singapore. The Philippines recently welcomed the adoption of the Maritime Workforce as the 2025 Main Policy Theme (MPT) of the Maritime Experts Group (MEG) of the APEC Transportation Working Group (TPT) at its 54th Meeting in Singapore from 30 September 2024 to 02 October 2024.

MARINA Director and Head of the Philippine Delegation, Luisito U. delos Santos, said that “putting the human element at the center of the work of the APEC TPT’s Maritime Experts Group is a reaffirmation and recognition of the indispensable role of our maritime workforce in sustaining the global economy.”

In its continued effort to promote inclusivity across the Asia-Pacific Region, the MEG noted the discussions provided by Canada on the maritime workforce and as interjected by the Philippines, to include port workers, shipyard workers, fishers, and others who may be identified as within the scope of the maritime workforce. The MEG likewise noted that the sub-topics relating to labor standards, labor shortages, gender representation, and global regulations and their impact on seafarers will serve as sources for project concept notes and project proposals.

The Philippines will cooperate with Canada for the development of project concept notes leading to the formulation of project proposals for TPT’s submission to the APEC Budget and Management Committee (BMC) for funding consideration. Progress on this main policy theme will be reported at the next TPT meeting when Korea hosts APEC 2025.

Other members of the Philippine delegation for APEC TPT54 include Ms. Ma. Pilipinas P. Abando, Supervising Communications Development Officer, Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the Land Experts Group (LEG) and the Intelligent and Intermodal Systems Experts Group (IIEG), and Ms. Katherine E. Barcellano, Corporate Planning Analyst A, Civil Aeronautics Board for the Air Services Experts Group, respectively.

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