The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) convened the first National Task Force coordination meeting for the Sustainable Maritime Transport Cooperation-Greenhouse Gas Project last 20 August.

The Philippines was selected as a beneficiary of the project under the International Maritime Organization's Integrated Technical Cooperation Program, funded by the Republic of Korea.

Task force members reviewed status updates, examined a needs assessment report, and refined a data collection framework designed to support maritime greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

Engr. Jeremiah M. Perez, national focal point for the project, provided an overview of the initiative, while Engr. Bannie V. Eslava led discussions on the needs assessment.

Justin John Villar, a professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman, presented updates on developing the country's maritime emissions data collection framework.

Representatives from government agencies and private sector groups attended the virtual meeting, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Coast Guard, Cebu Port Authority and several shipbuilding and ferry organizations.

Officials said the broad participation reflects a whole-of-government approach to curbing emissions across the Philippine shipping industry.