The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry is expanding its presence in the Philippines in response to a strong outlook and long-term government commitment to further develop the country’s maritime industry.

The Philippine government’s commitment to the maritime industry is outlined in the February 2023 update to the 10-year Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP), which coordinates the development and expansion of the Philippine merchant fleet and underscores the nation’s commitment to qualified human capital for the maritime industry.

The MIDP, released by the Maritime Industry Authority of the Philippines (Marina), looks to coordinate internationally and domestically to achieve a nationally integrated and globally competitive maritime industry by 2028.
This 10-year government commitment to strengthening the maritime industry mirrors what the RMI Registry sees in the market — a strong outlook for the Philippine maritime industry.

International Registries (Far East) Ltd. Representative Office (IRI), which provides administrative and technical support to the RMI Maritime and Corporate Registries, continues to expand its Manila office to support the industry’s growth and regional developments.

“Our Manila office is the largest regional production office for seafarers’ documentation and related services, and we work closely with more than 100 local clients to ensure timely services,” said Leo Bolivar, IRI’s country manager based in the Philippines.

“We coordinate with the top-tier crewing agencies in the Philippines to ensure that Filipino seafarers and officers are well-trained, educated and prepared to operate a modern vessel,” he added.

Bolivar said that the Manila office is full-service, supporting technical and fleet inspections, operations, vessel registrations, the Manila office works closely with the network of 28 offices across the world, especially those in the Far East.

“The updated MIDP is a great example of how valuable having in-country support and services can be,” noted Bolivar.

“Our worldwide reach makes IRI’s global resources available to our customers in the Philippines in local time and our local language. That translates to fast and efficient service at a reduced cost,” said Bolivar.

As of July 31, 2023, 5,495 vessels with a total of nearly 197 million gross tons were flagged with the RMI, including a wide variety of commercial vessels such as bulkers, containerships, general cargo ships, supply vessels, mobile offshore units and tankers. Private and commercial yachts are also in the RMI fleet.
“We are not just waiting for the future to arrive, we are helping to shape the future of our industry, and we look forward to this next decade of growth in the Philippines,” Bolivar said. -CIH