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A review of the Philippine shipbuilding and ship repair industry is in the works
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The Maritime Industry Authority, Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia, and French shipbuilding company OCEA S.A. Philippines signed a memorandum of agreement for the conduct of a peer review of the Philippine shipbuilding and ship repair industry
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The MOA aims to provide a framework for partnership to assess the Philippine SBSR industry in terms of policies, and incentives either implemented and planned by the Philippines
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MARINA administrator Sonia Malaluan said the peer review could support various developmental projects and plans for the SBSR industry
A review of the Philippine shipbuilding and ship repair (SBSR) industry is in the works.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia, and French shipbuilding company OCEA S.A. Philippines signed a memorandum of agreement on October 17, which aims to provide a framework for partnership among the signatories. The MOA will provide an assessment of the Philippine SBSR industry in terms of policies, and incentives whether planned or implemented.
MARINA administrator Sonia Malaluan during the signing ceremony said the peer review could support various developmental projects and plans for the SBSR industry, as aligned with the Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) 2028. The MIDP aims to achieve a nationally-integrated and globally competitive Philippine maritime industry by 2028.
READ: MARINA updates maritime industry development plan
Malaluan said the outcome of the assessment will be useful for legislators and other maritime stakeholders to have a better understanding of the situation in the country’s SBSR industry.
She noted that the country needs an enabling law to harness the big potential of the SBSR industry. MARINA has been pushing for the passage of bills aimed at developing the country’s SBSR industry.
OCEA is a shipbuilding firm in northwest France that specializes in the design, construction and support of aluminum vessels for patrol, maritime safety and security, passenger and freight transportation, oil and gas crew boats, offshore support vessels, research vessels, multipurpose workboats, transoceanic yachts, and fishing boats.
OCEA constructed Gabriela Silang, the largest and most modern offshore patrol boat of the Philippine Coast Guard that was ordered in 2017 and arrived in the Philippines in April 2020.
OCEA in July 2021 announced it has pledged P1.5 billion in investments for a shipyard project in the Philippines, a commitment it renewed during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in December 2022.
Aside from the MOA with OCEA, MARINA and the French Embassy in November 2022 signed a MOA aimed at strengthening maritime safety and security in the country, particularly in the SBSR industry. Under the MOA, France has deployed a French maritime expert in the country who will provide technical assistance, training, and consultancy services to MARINA.
