2nd MARINA processing center in CV to open soon

CEBU, Philippines - The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is set to establish another Regional Processing Center, this time in Negros Island Region to realize its goal of making the Visayas a maritime hub.

This is less than a month since the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement, which paved the way for the construction of the MARINA Regional Processing Center in Cebu last December 23, 2015.

 MARINA Administrator Maximo Mejia, Jr. and Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. last week formally executed an agreement marking the initiatory steps towards the construction of the MARINA Regional Processing Center in Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.

 “This is part of an expected series of inaugurations of MARINA regional processing centers all over the Philippines,” said ANGKLA Party-list Representative Jesulito Manalo.

 Prior to this, Manalo spearheaded the inception of the infrastructure project for a MARINA Regional Processing Center in Cebu province under a “Contract of Usufruct” between the Province of Cebu, represented by Governor Hilario Davide III and Mejia on December 17.

The “Usufruct Agreement” allows MARINA to utilize a 2,000 square meter parcel of land owned by the Province of Cebu for MARINA to construct and house one of its regional one-stop regional processing centers.

Manalo believes decentralization is key to facilitate the process of securing certification requirements to assist the seafarers.

 “Aspiring Filipino seafarers, especially those from poor families in the Visayas, must not be deprived of government assistance in terms of processing the needed documentations and certifications. We must bring government closer to the people,” Manalo stressed.

He added that there are seven maritime schools in the province producing 20,000 maritime graduates every year, 12 maritime training institutions offering enhanced support level program, 23 manning agencies in the region, and 3,000 domestic vessels registered.

Manalo earlier declared that the undertaking marks the realization of the government and ANGKLA’s shared vision of having a one-stop shop processing center in Cebu, promoting the province as one of the major maritime hubs in the country. — (FREEMAN)