THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) trained government officials to create port waste management plans.
The Marina Central Office hosted the two-day IMO-FAO Regional Litter Project workshop, which trained 35 stakeholders to implement Port Waste Management Plans.
The training equipped government officials to create standardized port waste management plans designed to protect Philippine seas from ship-generated pollution. By upgrading infrastructure, these new plans will align national ports with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol) treaty standards, ultimately preventing illegal ocean dumping.
During the sessions, global maritime experts taught systematic waste assessment methods, enabling port authorities to establish efficient ship-to-shore collection procedures. These experts led discussions on marine litter prevention, port reception facilities, and the essential components of a waste plan, including assessment, collection, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
To bridge theory and practice, participants analyzed a successful operational model currently running at a port in Manila. This case study provided scalable strategies and practical insights that other domestic harbors nationwide can now adapt.
This joint partnership established cleaner shipping frameworks, while the active implementation of these local plans will preserve marine biodiversity for the future.
