ANGKLA Brings Two
New Maritime Centers
to Visayan Seafarers
MARINA (Maritime
Industry Authority)
Region 6 Bacolod
extension office
A
NGKLA Party-List Jesulito `Jess’ Manalo inaugurated two
new four-storeys MARINA buildings, one in Iloilo City
and another in Bacolod, Negros Occidental as a fitting
gift to the maritime sector it represents during last
week’s Maritime Week 2018.
Manalo said the buildings are to be used as maritime
centers by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)
to service seafarers and the whole maritime industry
in Region VI. The two new buildings bring to three the number of
government owned MARINA buildings in the Visayas. The Cebu MARINA
building was inaugurated earlier this year.
MARINA Administrator Rey L. Guerrero acknowledged that it was
ANGKLA Representative Jess Manalo that secured the P480million for
inclusion in the National Expenditure Program for the construction of the
buildings, which includes the P300 million MARINA building along Roxas
Boulevard now in its completion stage.
It was also ANGKLA that secured idle government lands which lay
unused as sites for these new buildings on a usufruct arrangement. The
MARINA building in Negro Occidental sits on a 2000 square meter land
in Panaad Park, Mansilingan, Bacolod City provided by Governor Alfredo
Maranon, a known staunch supporter of the maritime industry. The
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MARINA Region VI building sits on a land along De La Rama St., Iloilo City
provided by Philippine Ports Authority through PPA General Manager Jay
Daniel Santiago.
Manalo of ANGKLA said MARINA having its own buildings in Manila
and in the regions is not only a dream come true but a testament to
ANGKLA’s total commitment to serve the maritime industry. Manalo
said the new buildings would not only save the government hundreds
of millions in rental fees but would bring the government closer to the
mariners in the regions.
ANGKLA would like to bring MARINA closer to the seafarers in the
Visayas so they won/t have to travel to Manila for the processing of their
seaman’s book, exams, certificates of competencies, and other processes
necessary for employment and study, Manalo said.
Guerrero on the other hand said he could not thank Angkla, enough
for its valuable support for the seafarers and the maritime industry
as a whole and for paving the way for MARINA to have its own four
new buildings in the short span of time ANGKLA is in Congress. He
said ANGKLA has done for the maritime sector what no other sectoral
representative has done.
ANGKLA Party-List Congressman Jess Manalo explained that ANGKLA
secured the funds for the construction of the maritime centers so that
seafarers in Iloilo and Negros Occidental will no longer have to travel to
Manila and wait in long lines to process their documents and take their
exams.
With the new buildings, ANGKLA fulfilled its promise to build maritime
centers in the regions especially in the Visayas where a substantial portion
of Philippine maritime professionals, students, businesses and maritime
stakeholders are from.
MARINA will use the maritime centers in Iloilo City and in
Bacolod, Negros Occidental to conduct written examinations for
seafarers, issue certifications and identification documents, pursue
maritime research, and provide training to MARINA staff and
personnel.
Susan Amoroso MJAP
Rogelio Benjamin J. Redoble, ANGKLA Party List.
ANGKLA would like to bring MARINA closer to the seafarers in the Visayas so they won/t have to
travel to Manila for the processing of their seaman’s book, exams, certificates of competencies, and
other processes necessary for employment and study, Manalo said.
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