Marina reaffirms commitment to sea navigation safety at UK meet

The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said Friday, Oct. 20, that it remains committed to enhancing sea navigation safety as it is part of the agency's efforts to promote a safer and more secure maritime industry.
Marina Enforcement Service Director Ronaldo Bandalaria made the commitment after he represented the Philippines in the Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum 30 (MAIIF30) meeting recently at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London, United Kingdom.
"As an archipelagic country, transportation by sea is significantly paramount in the development of our national economy. While shipping is considered the most economical way of transporting cargoes in volume, risk of accidents remains a challenge to the safety of life at sea and to the protection of the marine environment," MARINA said.
"Hence, the conduct of safety investigation is deemed necessary to minimize, if not to eliminate, similar recurrence of accidents in the future," it added.
During the forum, the participants discussed reflections on the recent IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), safety investigation presentations, human element and its impact on marine casualties, review of MAIIF charter and future plans of MAIIF.
MAIIF is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of maritime safety and to the prevention of marine pollution through the exchange of ideas, experiences and information acquired in marine accident investigation.
Its primary purpose is to promote and improve marine accident investigation, and to foster international cooperation and communication between marine accident investigators.