The proposed Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is designed to provide comprehensive protection for seafarers before, during, and after employment especially in the event of maritime accidents, pandemics or epidemics, or other natural or manmade disasters. It codifies the rights of seafarers into a single reference law. Who are the seafarers in the Magna Carta. This Act shall cover Filipino…
INTRODUCTION. To all distinguished guests from various agencies of government and the private sector, subject matter experts, and all our attendees, a pleasant morning to all. Foremost, I would like to congratulate the Maritime League and the Department of Transportation for spearheading the Blue Economy Annual Trade and Conference, or BEACON 2023. It is my distinct honor to represent the…
INTRODUCTION. A country with a 36,289-kilometer coastline and the world’s second largest archipelago, the Philippines’ lifeline is the sea, thus utilizing it to our advantage is a primary mission as part of today’s area denial counter to an invader. The country having a number of straits, inlets, bays and passageways can use these features in delaying the enemy’s advance. The…
16-AUGUST-2023, MANILA — Infrastructure in ports development nationwide will continue to accelerate in the coming months, as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) gears toward the completion of another 19 seaport projects before the end of 2023, adding up to the 30 seaport projects already completed during the first year of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. PPA’s 19 seaport infrastructure projects…
The President appointed two senior maritime officials under the Department of Transportation to lead the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Administration (MARINA) in October and December last year. The new Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard is Admiral Ronnie Gil L. Gavan PCG who assumed after the retirement of Admiral Artemio Abu in October. He was Deputy…
The Maritime League’s Vice President and Maritime Review Editorial Board Chairman, Vice Admiral Emilio C Marayag Jr AFP (Ret), secured anew the trust and confidence of the members of the Association of General and Flag Officers, Inc. during its Annual Membership Meeting and Election held in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on November 24, 2023. He clinched the Association’s top position…
In April this year, the President ordered a review of numerous government positions for rightsizing to “upgrade and reskill the workforce in order to improve state services and programs.” The call emanated from the President’s 2022 State of the Nation Address. Consequently several legislators proposed a National Rightsizing Act that is well-aligned with the Revised Administrative Code. The review and…
Digitization has brought massive benefits to the shipping industry. It’s now possible for charterers to make million-dollar deals in a matter of minutes using email alone. But recent years have also seen exponential growth in the volume of messages that shippers send and receive. Charterers, brokers, operators and port agents can sift through thousands of emails a day, and missing…
Zebra mussels are an invasive, fingernail-sized mollusk that is native to fresh waters in Eurasia. Their name comes from the dark zig-zagged stripes on each shell. The zebra mussel [Pallas, 1771] is a shellfish named for the striped pattern of its shell. This mussel is typically found attached to objects, surfaces, or other mussels by threads extending from underneath the shells….
STCW training provisions on bullying and harassment in the maritime sector, including sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) The Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 9), 6-10 February 2023, agreed to draft amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Code, to prevent and respond to bullying and harassment in the maritime sector, including…
Wilton Park published its report on “Human Rights Law at Sea,” discussing the key themes of discussion, problems identified, and recommendations for possible ways forward concerning human rights protections at sea. The Wilton Park “Human Rights Law at Sea” Conference, organized in partnership with Human Rights at Sea Advisory Board member Sir Malcolm Evans KCMG, OBE, FLSW, was initiated as a…
The use of biofuels or biofuel blends is one of many ways to comply with the IMO’s strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, and DNV has seen an increasing interest in these new fuels. This news aims to clarify the regulatory status and other considerations on the usage of such fuels. DNV has received many requests regarding…
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has a strong tradition of collaborating with owners and operators in the Marine Environment (ME) to provide relevant information about best practices to secure their critical systems. Since December 2020, Coast Guard Cyber Command (CGCYBER) has vastly grown its presence and increased its operational tempo to protect cyber systems underpinning the ME. The observations…
The world’s predominant superpower will always create the conditions to perpetuate its global dominance and weaker nations will always be subsumed by these conditions. Like it or not, that’s just how the world works. It was true during the ancient Byzantine and Roman empires as it was true during the recent British and American empires. How do superpowers create the…
The year 2023 is a monumental year for the Philippine Navy. What started as a revolutionary independent force that was founded by the first Philippine President, President Emilio Aguinaldo on May 20, 1898,[i] grew to become the country’s naval warfare service that celebrated its 125th anniversary last May 20, 2023. But before the celebration of its founding anniversary, the Philippine…
The BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17), one of the Philippine Navy’s capital ships under the Operational Control (OPCON) of Naval Forces Southern Luzon, is now at Albay to supply the fresh water needs of evacuees affected by Mt. Mayon’s eruption using an onboard Reverse Osmosis Desalination System. Said deployment is being realized as committed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr during…
LANDING SUPPORT VESSEL (LSV). It would be 17 years later that the Service Force would have a boost in the arm with commissioning of the Frank S Besson Class BRP Bacolod City (LC-550) on 03-December-1993 and BRP Cagayan De Oro (LC-551 later changed to BRP Dagupan City) on 05-April-1994. Both still extant today with a 990-ton capability load for amphibious…
KEY TAKEAWAYS DELTAMARIN and BAR Technologies’ new Aframax/LRII build design improves current performance by 15% through wind propulsion. Rising uptake of wind propulsion technology underlines the cargo shipping industry’s commitment to decarbonization and green innovation. The focus on hull designs tailored for wind power is the next step in the development of wind propulsion. Naval architects DELTAMARIN and innovative marine…
Korean Register (KR) has granted an Approval in Principle (AIP) for a methanol-fueled MR (medium-range) tanker, jointly developed by KR, South Korean Shipbuilders K Shipbuilding and equipment manufacturer S&SYS at Nor-Shipping 2023 in Oslo, Norway on 6-June-2023. As part of the Joint Development Project (JDP) between the three companies, the MR tanker is designed as a dual-fuel vessel, harnessing the…
Shipping is an important industry that plays a significant role in global trade and economic growth, but it is also responsible for 3% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The industry’s current goal of reducing total annual GHG emissions by least 50% by 2050 compared to the 2008 baseline, is not ambitious enough to meet the immense climate challenge we…
First of all, I am thankful to be a member of the prestigious Maritime League and being able to attend its Maritime Forum where I have exchanged notes or opinions with some of its members, either through the Forum or private messages. I am very honored to have exchanged notes with no other than the Former Associate Chief Justice Tony…
CAPT TOMAS D BAINO was a Trustee, a member of the Executive Committee (EXECOM) of the Maritime League, and a member of the Editorial Board of the Maritime Review. CAPT Baino was a registered naval architect and civil engineer in the Professional Regulation Commission in the Philippines. He was the former Commanding Officer of the Naval Shipyard, Philippine Navy and…
One of the pillars of the 1995 and the amended AFP Modernization Law is force restructuring and organizational development. The original law focused on external defense given the transfer of the Internal Security Operations (ISO) from the AFP to the newly created Philippine National Police. Through Congressional Joint Resolution No. 28, the ground forces were supposed to be reorganized into…
Decarbonization is fast approaching. All industries are having to adapt and maritime is no different. International, national and regional regulations are in progress, alternative fuels in development and operational practices under scrutiny. David Roberts, Managing Director of Standard Asia, sat down with Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD), a Singapore based NGO formed last…