Administrator Shares Role of MARINA in Diplomacy

Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan delivers her lecture at FSI’s CPR Library.

PASAY 02 April 2024 – The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) successfully held its Partners’ Lecture Series (PLS) on 25 March 2024 at its Carlos P. Romulo Library with Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) as guest speaker. Administrator Malaluan discussed “The Role of Marina in Promoting Philippine Interest Through Maritime Cooperation and Partnerships.” 

In an audience composed of officials and personnel from FSI, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), other government agencies, and members of the Diplomatic Corps, Administrator Malaluan provided a background of MARINA – its foundations and core functions. She cited the agency’s priority programs for 2024, such as the MARINA Blockchain-Enabled Certification System, which enables “contactless transactions from application to release of certificates, licenses, letter approvals and documents” and promotion of Ease of Doing Business. She further noted the globally-recognized authority of MARINA to issue certificates relating to its remit, including identification certificates of Filipino seafarers. 

Administrator Malaluan explained the agency’s crucial role in the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Gender and Development, and its partnerships with IMO Member States, regional organizations, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). She highlighted MARINA’s active role in regional associations like the APEC Transportation Working Group and noted several memoranda linked with NGOs, IMO Member States, and other Maritime Administration in MARINA’s efforts to promote Philippine interests by forging maritime multilateral cooperation.

The Partners’ Lecture Series is a platform that FSI launched in 2023 for heads of government agencies and other organizations to share knowledge, priorities, and advocacies with the DFA. END

(L-R) Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo Jose A. De Vega, Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan, and FSI Assistant Secretary Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III during the awarding of certificate and token of appreciation