Members of the Port and Maritime Management Council (PMMAC) and Port Security Advisory Committee (PSAC) together with invited agencies jointly convened virtually on 29 June 2021 for port and security updates.

The body was informed of the updated COVID-19 measures in the maritime sector as presented by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA). These included the mandatory registration of all passengers in the S-Pass Travel Management System and the implementation of the additional information on the Passenger Manifest which should be filled in by the shipping lines as additional measures for contact tracing of passengers. MARINA will be also launching the Passenger e-Manifest System (PEMS), in partnership with the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP). It is a digitized tool to replace pen and paper tracking, and shall cover all ships calling in the Port of Cagayan de Oro (Baseport).

Another agenda in the meeting was the presentation of updates on PMO MO/C’s infrastructure projects. Rehabilitation of amenity building is ongoing at the Port Terminal Complex of the Baseport. The PMO also planned to establish a power sub-station in the Port and construct a continuous RORO ramp.

In the second part of the meeting, the attendees then proceeded to separate virtual break-out rooms for the discussion of their respective agendas. PMMAC members and invited attendees discussed among others, the clarifications on the implementation of the mandatory tree/mangrove planting for the issuance of accreditation, certificate of registration, and award of contract or extension thereof; and the required attendance to the Basic Port Operations Seminar (BPOS) of the personnel of the port service providers as a post-approval condition in the issuance of their respective Permit to Operate (PTO). Attendees for the PSAC meeting, on the other hand, tackled the security-related matters concerning the city and the region as reported by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). The PMO’s Port Police Division presented to the body the issued Port Advisory, Bulletin, and Announcements (PABA) within the second quarter of the year, which are mainly about health and safety protocols in ports in view of the ongoing pandemic.