The Philippines and the United Kingdom convened a week-long workshop in Manila to ensure that previous discussions on maritime security turn into concrete actions.

The workshop, a follow-up action from the 2nd Philippines-UK Maritime Dialogue in London in July 2024, was also aimed at strengthening the maritime security partnership and building upon the existing collaborations between the two countries.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Maritime and Ocean Affairs Assistant Secretary Louis Alferez said in his remark that the workshop will help in efforts to strengthen the Philippines’ policy and institutional framework.

It will help particularly towards helping “smoothen the whole-of-government coordination necessary for effective national responses and actions to maritime security challenges and concerns.”

The workshop’s participants collaborated through discussions, sharing information, and exchanging views on maritime security risks and challenges, and jointly exploring and developing collaborative and robust approaches to addressing critical maritime issues.

“Leveraging the combined expertise of the Philippines and the UK, the participants considered the multi-faceted nature of maritime security, including the realm of maritime cybersecurity,” DFA said.

The workshop was conducted by the UK Department of Transportation (DfT) and the Maritime Domain Awareness Programme (MDAP).

It featured a series of focused sessions delving into various aspects of maritime security strategies, approaches and methodologies, and cutting across and encompassing various sectors, from defense and law enforcement to livelihoods and humanitarian aid.

The workshop highlighted the shared value and commitment of the Philippines and the UK to the maintenance of the rules-based international order, and to reinforcing the primacy of the United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the Constitution of the Ocean.