TIM eMagazine Volume 3 Issue 5 | Page 14

Maritime MARINA HOSTS THE IMSAS INTER- AGENCY MOCK AUDIT OPENING & CLOSING MEETING Credits : marina.gov.ph T he Philippine maritime administration, through the Maritime Industry AulhOnrl!' (MARINA), held the Inter-Agency Mock Audit Opening and Closing Meeting at the Midas Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City on 25 May 2018 and 05 June 2018, respectively. The mock audit was held from 28 May to 01 June 2018 which coincides with the MARINA 44th Anniversary. The mock audit is a simulation of the mandatory audit (IMSAS) under the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Instruments Implementation Code (Ill Code) to determine the extent of compliance by the Philippines in implementing and enforcing its functions under mandatory international maritime instruments as a flag, port and coastal State and to address deficiencies and observations. The Philippines is scheduled to undergo its next IMSAS Audit in 2021. The two meetings marked the beginning and end of the mock audit activities. This was participated by different related maritime agencies whose mandates include giving full and complete effect to the provisions of the international maritime instruments. The mock audit covered assessment areas enumerated under the IMO Non-Exhaustive List of Obligations and the Auditors Manual included in the III Code. Each audited agency was represented by a designated Single Point of Contact (SPC) while audit teams were comprised of trained auditors from the other participating agencies as well as observers. This was done with the intention of maximizing the learning potential for all participants in preparation for the IMSAS audit in 2021 by utilizing all capable personnel throughout the whole process of the exercise which included activities held as far back as 2017 such as calibration seminars for auditors, gap analysis and audit plan development workshops. From the results of the mock audit, ! subsequent actions are expected to be undertaken by the maritime administration to facilitate correction of deficiencies or non-conformities found. The next related activities include the submission and finalization of the audit reports, review and finalization of action plans designed to respond to any findings, and the eventual follow-up audits to assess the progress of said action plaps. The Meetings were attended by representatives from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), MARINA, Philippine Coast Guard (peG), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Cebu Ports Authority (CPA), Office for Transportation Security (OTS), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). marina.gov.ph From the results of the mock audit, ! subsequent actions are expected to be undertaken by the mariti