President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., ordered the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on Wednesday, January 17, to standardize its maritime operations to align with global standards.

The directive was made during a meeting at the Malacañang Palace with MARINA chief Sonia Malaluan about the proposed Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028 (MIDP 2028).

This meeting aims to establish a strong and reliable merchant fleet in the country to address its sea requirements as part of the national development agenda.

“These are all promotion, modernization but let us standardize first our systems and at the same time we undertake this like promotion of a highly skilled Filipino maritime workforce. ‘Yung ship building and ship repair, we haven’t done much to promote that,” President Marcos said.

“The rest are for further development. So let’s standardize our practices so that we will be the same with our international counterparts. We have to fix our house first. Because we have to compete and in order to do that we should have an even playing field and then we should gain an advantage,” he added.

The Chief Executive also drew attention to the high cost of shipping within the nation relative to other nations, arguing that it is less expensive to ship goods internationally than domestically.

Marina cites the size of the vessel, the fuel excise duty, and the quality of the vessel as some of the factors driving up the cost of domestic transportation.

The organization pointed out that because large ships have worldwide itineraries, they benefit from economies of scale that lower ticket prices and travel expenses.

Regarding excise tax, Marina clarified that since domestic shipping bears the weight of additional fuel tax in the Philippines, any ship sailing abroad is exempt from excise duty on gasoline.

Marina also mentioned that investors weren't interested in investing in the local shipping industry, making old fleets continue to operate, thereby contributing to lower vessel quality.

In June 1974, Marina was created to integrate the development, promotion, and regulation of the Philippine maritime industry.

One of the agency’s primary goals is to lead a progressive maritime administration that ensures the safety and security of life and property at sea, the protection of the marine environment, and the global competitiveness of the Filipino maritime workforce.