THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the World Bank are evaluating pure electric and hybrid propulsion systems for domestic routes. The initiative seeks to insulate archipelagic transport from global oil volatility while lowering greenhouse gas emissions across sea lanes.
Key maritime stakeholders, partner agencies, and vessel operators gathered in Iloilo for a public consultation on the Interisland Ferry Decarbonization Pilot Project.
Discussions focused on technical frameworks and financial support mechanisms to curb fuel consumption and lower operational carbon intensity in domestic shipping.
Marina officials emphasized that fleet transition strategies must balance environmental compliance with service reliability to keep passenger fares and freight rates stable for island communities.
Participants analyzed fleet retrofitting requirements, clean port charging infrastructure, and regulatory incentives needed to transition away from high-emission fossil fuels.
Marina will use the stakeholder feedback from the Iloilo sessions to refine technical guidelines and draft policy incentives for modernizing the country’s interisland fleet.