Over 3000 to convene at Cebu maritime expo

CEBU, Philippines — Over 3,000 stakeholders in the maritime industry across the Philippines and abroad will converge in Cebu to participate in the 2nd Cebu Maritime Expo and Boat Show (CME) scheduled for April 18-20, 2024, at the SM Seaside City Cebu.

Hosted by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (Soname) in collaboration with the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina-7), the two-day event carrying the theme “Cebu Maritime Expo 2024: From Tourism, Promoting Safety To Innovations: The Philippine Maritime Landscape,” is seen to strengthen Cebu’s lead in the country’s maritime sector.

According to Marina-7 regional director Annabelle P. Lagas, the event is an opportunity to stress Cebu’s leadership in the maritime industry, particularly in shipbuilding.

Lagas stated this is the time for Cebu to showcase the modernized boats produced locally that are being used as recreational vessels in tourism. This is in addition to the well-established fact that Cebu has been manufacturing large ships for the international markets for years, earning the province its reputation as the Philippines’ “shipbuilding capital.”

“With this expo, we can show to the public the different types of boats that can be used in tourism. Despite the modernity, Marina wants to keep the style of motor bancas as they are popular among foreign tourists,” she said.

She said Marina has been encouraging boat operators and owners, especially motor bancas, to modernize their boats for safety and security.

Frances Gatungay, managing proprietor of Full-Force MarketStrat Gateway, the main organizer of the event, said CME 2024 aligns with Cebu's roadmap for maritime primacy, aiming to generate economic benefits through maritime tourism, stimulate interest, and attract investments.

“The expo aims to revitalize Cebu's local boating industry through sustainable tourism and best practices, leveraging the presence of leading shipbuilding firms in the province,” Gatungay said.

The two-day event expects to gather at least 40 exhibitors to showcase the innovations of boats, and other marine engineering developments in the maritime industry.

Soname president Raymund Christopher Puso emphasized the significance of the CME event as an important platform for fostering collaboration and networking among diverse sectors within the maritime industry.

Through the event, Puso said Soname is raising funds for its scholarship program for future maritime professionals. The funds raised will support the group’s dedication to advancing education and research in the maritime field.

Soname is a group of Filipino naval architects, marine engineers, and shipping and shipbuilding professionals.

Soname secretary Doyle Figueras added the event hopes to attract more investors to place their boat orders in Cebu.

Marina’s shipping modernization plan limits the service life of vessels to up to 30 years. It announced a maximum age for steel ships of 30 years; wooden-hulled ships of 20 years; and motor bancas of five years. If found to be non-compliant, Marina said unclassed ships of excess age shall be automatically de-listed from the Philippine registry.

The operators of ships that have reached the maximum allowable age shall have the option to have their ships classed, replaced with classed ships, or retired without any replacement.

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with South African Ambassador to the Philippines Bartinah Ntombizodwa Radebe-Netshitenzhe recently, she recognized the potential of Cebu to further develop its maritime industry potential, which she described as “ocean economy.”

The Ambassador said the South African government could lend a hand in helping Cebu develop its “ocean economy” or the maritime industry, mentioning South Africa’s success in building the largest ports.

“We have the best technology,” she said referring to port operations, which Cebu can learn from.