The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in collaboration with Expertise France Groupe AFD through its French Maritime Expert (FME) Emeric Faure has successfully conducted the stakeholder’s forum with regard to the progress report of the concentrated campaign with the aim to enhance roll-on roll-off passenger (RoPax) fleet safety on 25 & 26 January 2024 held in Diamond Suites & Residences, Cebu City and in MARINA Regional Office VII (MRO VII), Lahug, Cebu City, respectively.

The MRO VII Director Ms. Annabell P. Lagas officially opened the forum with starting remarks on welcoming the face-to-face and online participants. Ms. Lagas highly encouraged to actively listen and participate in the generative discussion for the continuous success of the RoPax concentrated campaign.

Notably, the stakeholder’s forum was an occasion to widely disseminate the result of the campaign of concentrated inspection to RoPax ships that was initiated last November 2022.

FME Faure has shared the comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the inspection findings in relation to relevant regulations through a simplified checklist/ questionnaire and juxtaposed to RoPax ships’ gross tonnage and age, role of classification society, statistics of accidents, among others.

With reference to the analysis, the creation of a strategy to improve RoPax and passenger ships through the adoption of a risk reduction plan that includes reinforcing safety compliance, implementation of mitigation measures to identified risks, company evaluation system, etc. is proposed by the FME.

During the forum, the MARINA Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan has commended the unrelenting commitment of the FME that primarily thrives the joint project of MARINA and France. The campaign is seen to valuably contribute to the improvement of the safety standards of RoPax ships that does not involve monetary penalties but a compliance plan that will be eventually bolstered with a MARINA Advisory to compel domestic RoPax and passenger ships to comply with the said plan within a specified timeframe for the furtherance of safety progress. Accordingly, Administrator Malaluan clearly underscores that SAFETY is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

In attendance of the concentrated campaign forum included various Directors from Service Units in MARINA Central Office, MARINA Regional Directors, MARINA technical personnel representing Service Units and Regional Offices, Philippine Coast Guard, Cebu Port Authority, National Telecommunications Commission, shipowners, representatives of shipping companies, MARINA-accredited classification society, and others.

View photos here