Mainstreaming Maritime: The JCJ Series

Key stakeholders of the Philippine maritime industry including the academic community reached a consensus recently to work for a research agenda on maritime issues. They also agreed to promote the development of a shipping industry toward making the country as a leading self-reliant maritime nation.

The objectives were reached at the launching of “Mainstreaming Maritime: The JCJ Series”, a round-table discussion held on June 28, 2012 at the Manila Yacht Club overlooking the Manila Bay in Manila.

Organized by the Mariners System, the JCJ series is named in memory of the late Commodore Jaime C. Jimenez, Sr., founder of the MPCF schools in the Bicol region. The launching forum was co-sponsored by the Philippine Association of Maritime Institutions (PAMI) and Mariners Polytechnic Training Center (MPTC).

Maragtas S.V. Amante, PhD, spoke on research capacity-building among maritime schools and other institutions in the industry and linking such efforts toward building a shipping industry. Amante, who is currently Vice President for Administration, University of the Philippines (UP), also identified the core issues of research, including maritime education and training, IT technology and capacity building for the MET curriculum, seafarers welfare, and the economic and development impact of seafarer remittances.

Amante, who also used to be the Dean of UP’s School of Labor and Industrial Relations (Solair), has also extensive teaching, research, and consultancy on maritime in the UK, South Korea, Japan, and other countries.

The other speaker, lawyer Josephine G. Uranza, talked about maritime administration models clarifying that such function should comply with international laws particularly the UN Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS). The paper of Uranza, who also teaches at the UP College of Law, was presented in the light of the current mainstreaming of maritime governance in the Philippines under President Benigno S. Aquino III’s EO 75.

EO 75, which centralized maritime administration under the Department of Transportation and Communication, was discussed by Atty. Nicasio A. Conte, OIC of MARINA.

The launching forum was opened by Commo. Dante La Jimenez, President of MPCF (Legazpi and Canaman) and PAMI Secretary General. Reactors were Atty. Brenda V. Pimentel, IMO regional coordinator for East Asia; C/E Alfredo G. Haboc, PAMTCI president; Ms. Presca Lee B. Lugo, OIC Deputy Executive Director, NMP; and Dr. Angel M. Baylon, MAAP’s director for research and extension services.

Prof. Bobby M. Tuazon, director for policy studies of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), gave the synthesis. Dr. Felicito P. Dalaguete, PAMI board member, gave the closing remarks.

Ms. Merle J. San Pedro, MPTC president and lead convener of the JCJ series, served as the moderator for the forum while MPCF Legazpi VP Conrado Cordero was the master of ceremonies.

Highlighting the event was a brief presentation of the MPCF academic journal Uktaw, with Ms. Evi L. Jimenez, CenPEG executive director and MPCF Canaman BOT chair, discussing her paper, “The Diaspora of Filipino Seafarers: A Look at the Flag of Convenience.”

Dr. Edgar P. Despi, MPCF-Camariner Sur director for research, introduced Uktaw.

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Photo Gallery
Photos by Nelissa J. Ampuan

UP Vice President Maragtas SV Amante

Evi L. Jimenez, Uktaw presenter

MPCF President Commodore Dante La Jimenez opens the JCJ series

Merle J. San Pedro, moderator

Roundtable participants

(Seated, L-R) Presca Lee Lugo, Atty. Brenda Pimentel, Merle J. San Pedro, Atty. Josephine Uranza and Dr. Angelina Baylon; (standing, L-R) Alfredo Haboc, Mr. Chiongbian, Commo. Jimenez, Dr. Felicito Dalaguete, UP VP Maragtas Amante, Evi L. Jimenez, and Bobby Tuazon.

Marina at Manila Bay outside the yacht club. Photo courtesy of Bobby Tuazon