TRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime Bautista urged the maritime industry to cultivate a unified front in the face of challenges hounding the shipping and territorial sovereignty of the country.
In his keynote address during the opening of the Blue Economy Annual Trade and Conference (Beacon) 2024 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Bautista stressed the importance of dialogues in staying relevant to evolving issues. He emphasized, however, that efforts should go beyond talks.
“The country has slipped into hollow rhetoric in the West Philippine Sea. [We must] remove the blinders that keep us from seeing the bigger picture. These issues should not just be a mere mention in conferences,” Bautista said.
Maritime League President Vice Adm. Eduardo Ma R Santos with Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista during the opening of the 2024 BEACON at the SMX Convention Center on Sept. 30, 2024. PHOTO by WILMAR ALMERIA
He also said that the president’s move to sign the Republic Act 12021, or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, acknowledged the country’s seafarers and their contribution to world trade and economy.
“This is our way of showing that we hear you and we see you. We are here to support you,” Bautista said to the Filipino seafarers.
He added that the signing of the Magna Carta is timely with the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The said waters were designated as “high-risk areas” (HRAs) and “war-like zones” (WLZs) by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) following the Houthi attack on MV True Confidence which resulted in the death of three seafarers, two of whom are Filipinos and one is a Vietnamese national.
Beacon Expo is an international maritime conference and trade exhibition organized by The Maritime League in partnership with the Department of Transportation. It highlighted sustainable maritime innovation as the center of its exhibition last September 30 to October 2.
Maritime League Inc. and Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific president Vice Adm. Eduardo MA R. Santos said Beacon Expo was a fitting conclusion to this year’s Maritime Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month celebration.
Santos said the expo was a platform for dialogues and exhibitions on the blue economy that is vital for the country’s economy and identity as an archipelagic nation.
The event was co-located with the BIAP Manila International Boat Show at the Manila Yacht Club, which featured industry leaders, innovators, and stakeholders in the maritime and blue economy sectors.
Beacon Expo 2024 featured diverse exhibits on cutting-edge technologies, products and services from leading maritime groups and its ancillary sectors. Global maritime experts on Blue Economy, Marine Environment Protection and Development, Maritime Safety and Security and logistics innovations were also invited to give insights on the latest trends in the industry.
The event was attended by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.; Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones; Assistant Secretary Maria Elena Maningat of the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Sonia Malaluan, retired Supreme Court Antonio Carpio; Vice Adm. Rolando Lizor Punzalan, deputy commandant for Philippine Coast Guard operations; and Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., Philippine Navy flag officer in command.
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