The Philippines is an archipelagic state comprising over 7,100 islands and a global powerhouse in the maritime industry. Filipinos engage in maritime activities such as transport and fishing, which are among the prime sources of livelihood in the nation. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Philippines provides over 378,000 seafarers to the global maritime industry, with Filipinos forming a quarter of the 1.2 million mariners deployed all over the world. The country’s topography and geographic location also make it vulnerable to many natural disasters, such as floods, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
While standard training is provided by maritime institutions to address natural disasters, more than half do not comply with the requirements on a majority of the critical areas prescribed by the European Maritime Safety Authority (EMSA) and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
This is where RIS2E Philippines (Resiliency Improvement for Seafarers & Seafaring Enterprises) comes in. Conceptualized by the Philippines Transmarine Carriers (PTC) – a pioneer in the field of merchant maritime, DEG – a development finance institution, and ASSIST – a development organization, RIS2E Philippines will address these gaps in the Philippines’ maritime industry by enhancing the capacity of domestic fleet operators and seafarer communities through training and implementing ISO 22301 and disaster preparedness programs.
Click here to read more about the initiative.
