PH secures technical grant from EU
THE Philippines has secured a technical assistance grant from the European Union to fortify maritime safety measures.
This grant, confirmed during a recent meeting at the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) office in Brussels, Belgium, signifies a crucial partnership between the two entities.
During the meeting, Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Administrator Sonia Malaluan presented the country’s efforts to improve its policies and systems in compliance with the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978, as amended. Malaluan also presented the updated MIDP 2028 programs and her priority projects for 2024.
The DG MOVE has confirmed the status of technical assistance to the Philippines, starting in the fourth quarter of this year and running for three years or until 2027.
Accompanying Malaluan were Elmer Sarmiento, undersecretary for maritime at the Department of Transportation;
Jaime Victor Ledda, Philippine ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg; Gerardo Borromeo, chairman of the Multisectoral Governance Council, who met with Fotini Ioannidou, acting director of MOVE-D (Waterborne); and Justyna Bartnicka.
MOVE-D covers the directorate’s functions relating to safety, maritime transport, and logistics, as well as ports and inland navigation.
The EU and the Philippines discussed areas of collaboration such as greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction initiatives and the STCW Convention and Code.
The EU and the Philippines have also agreed to cooperate on security matters.
Last year, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, visited the Philippines and stressed that security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific is indivisible and that challenges to the rules-based order affect everyone.
She underlined the legally binding nature of the 2016 Award of the Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea. She was willing to cooperate on maritime security through information sharing, threat assessment, and capacity building.
Meanwhile, the EU earmarked 186 million euros (P11.3 billion) in humanitarian assistance to help vulnerable populations in South Asia and the Pacific, focusing on Myanmar, Bangladesh and the Philippines and address climate change impacts in the region. This cooperation aims to ensure the safety and security of the region.