Tagaytay City- As the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) continues to strengthen its policies, the Agency has gathered legal experts, professionals, and technical personnel to share insights on various topics through this year’s Lawyers’ Convention on 10-12 October 2023.
The annual MARINA Lawyers’ Convention serves as a platform for building professional relationships and knowledge exchange while keeping MARINA personnel engaged in legal work updated about the latest developments in the Legal Service.
Under the central theme of “Strengthening Maritime Policies,” the said convention featured a diverse array of discussions, including the ‘Rules of Practice and Procedure in Administrative Investigation’ which provides a framework for addressing maritime violations, offering valuable guidelines into the legal procedures in the promulgation of cases in MARINA and the ‘Ship Registry Bill’, which aims to modernize ship registration, potentially updating and streamlining ship registration in the Philippines making it a registry of choice.
The topics tackled include the ‘Comprehensive Maritime Bill’, which delved into the broader legal landscape of MARINA, signifying significant and defined changes in the functions of MARINA.
Meanwhile, an informative briefing on the ‘West Philippine Sea’ brought attendees up to speed with the latest developments in this vital maritime region in the archipelago while a discussion on the ‘Exclusion of Tugs and Barges from CPC Application’ explored potential regulatory updates, with a specific focus on these types of vessels.
Further, updates on MARINA’s priority bills, including the ‘International Maritime Instruments Domestication Act of the Philippines,’ ‘Philippine Ship Registry System Act,’ and ‘Shipbuilding Development Act of 2022’ highlighted MARINA’s commitment to bring the industry at par with international standards.
The Convention was also participated by the MARINA management, directors, maritime attache, along with Atty. Josephine Uranza, Regional Coordinator, IMO Regional Presence for Technical Cooperation in East Asia, and Atty. Neil Silva, a lecturer at the University of the Philippines.