After 44 years, Marina gets own central office building

The 12,000-square meter, 12-story building was constructed at a cost of P382 million. Construction took three years to complete. Photo courtesy of the Maritime Industry Authority.

For the first time since its founding in June 1974, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) now has a central office building to call its own, located on Bonifacio Drive corner 20th Street, Port Area, Manila.

The 12,000-square meter, 12-story building was constructed with help from the Department of Public Works and Highways and ANGKLA Partylist at a cost of P382 million.

Construction took three years from 2015 to 2018 due to space programming to accommodate adjustments in manpower complement and enhance the agency’s organizational structure, Marina said in a statement. Prior to the new building, which was blessed on December 14, Marina had been renting space for its central office in Manila.

Partial operations in the new building will commence early next year while full operations are expected to start before end of 2019.

The Marina-Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers Office and Marina-Manpower Development Service will be the last to move in to reduce disruption in the delivery of public service to seafarers such as the issuance of examination permits and necessary certificates.

The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) finally has a permanent home. The recent building inauguration was attended by Department of Transportation officer-in-charge undersecretary for Maritime Fernando Juan Perez, Marina deputy administrator for Operations Nanette-Villamor Dinopol, ANGKLA Partylist representative Jesulito Manalo, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Philippine Coast Guard commandant Elson Hermogino,  MARINA officer-in-charge administrator Narciso Vingson, Jr., and Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Daniel Santiago. Photo courtesy of Marina.

Marina’s central office is currently composed of 1,817 manpower complement running 18 service units which include the following: Domestic Shipping Service, Overseas Shipping Service, Shipyards Regulation Service, Manpower Development Service, Maritime Safety Service, Enforcement Service, Franchising Service, Planning and Policy Service, Strategic Communications Service, Management Information Systems Service, Legal Service, Human Resource Management Division, Management, Financial, and Administrative Service, Records Section, Budget Division, Accounting Division, Cash Section, and General Services Division.

Marina said construction of its central office building in Manila, as well as its regional office buildings inside government service centers across the country, such as in Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Legazpi, is intended to provide convenience to maritime stakeholders through more effective and more efficient delivery of services. It is also to promote maritime industry development through better information dissemination and collaboration of efforts among maritime industry partners.