President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday called on the government agencies and other stakeholders to work together to boost the country’s maritime industry and adopt new technologies and secure emerging opportunities for our seafarers.

The President made the call as he vowed to continue strengthening the maritime-related policies and protecting the welfare of the seafarers and their families.

In his speech during the Seafarers Summit in Pasay City, President Marcos highlighted the importance of unity between the private sector and the government in the transformation of the transportation industry, including shipping, marked by the coming of new and sustainable fuels, and the deployment of digitalization and automation.

“To facilitate this shift, there is a need for the shipping industry to adapt and integrate new developments into their fleets, starting with the retooling of existing ships and the building of newer and more modern ships equipped with these new technologies,” Marcos said.

“I am confident that, with all of us working together, we will navigate the turbulent tides ahead and chart a course towards a stronger and sustainable tomorrow for seafarers and the global community. May the winds be fair and the seas be kind to us as we embark on this journey together,” he added.

Marcos also emphasized that investing in a highly qualified and well-trained workforce that will build, maintain and man the shipping vessels and “sail towards other opportunities” are significant parts of the change in the shipping industry.

The President reiterated his directive to the Maritime Industry Authority and the Commission on Higher Education to work closely with the shipping industry on the up-skilling and re-skilling of Filipino seafarers to prepare them for the shift of ocean-going vessels from using the conventional fuel sources to green ammonia between 2030-2040.

“With all hands on deck, we must come together to envision and shape the future of the industry and global trade for the next 25 years. We can do this by identifying the skills required for the new generation of ships, discussing education and training requirements, and committing to a fair and just transition to build a future-ready and resilient shipping industry,” Marcos said.

“Moreover, I enjoin all national government agencies, [multi-lateral] organizations, and private stakeholders to work together in identifying strategies to ensure the availability of skilled workers to fulfill the requirements of the shipping industry. This is expected to significantly increase by the year 2050,” he added.

The President attended the Seafarers Summit in Pasay City on Monday with the theme “Shaping the Future of Shipping-Seafarer 2050 Summit.”