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MANILA/BARANGAY CATICLAN, Malay, Aklan, March 23, 2026 (SDN) — Traveling by sea from Manila via Batangas City to this Visayan island, 17 lucky reporters are traveling Monday, for the 2026 MARINA Ship Onboard Familiarization Tour.
The Maritime Industry Authority, or MARINA, brought them to Barangay Caticlan “in recognition of the media’s role in shaping public understanding” of the vital multi-faceted role of the agency in the economy of the Philippines that contributes “significantly to trade, employment, and tourism”.
Under the leadership of Administrator Susan Bautista Malaluan, MARINA, the go-to government agency with regards to the maritime transport industry, wants to widen the coverage of the media in seaborne operations through a “firsthand exposure to shipboard operations, maritime safety practices, and the regulatory systems that govern the shipping industry.
National and regional officials of the maritime agency are accompanying and guiding the members of the Quad Media — Print, Television, Radio, and Online — in the five-day familiarization tour from March 23 to 27.
They are billeted at the four-star, usually full-packed, 174-room Golden Phoenix Hotel, a beachfront hospitality establishment, with Boracay Beach’s famous white sands greeting guests as soon as they step out at the back of the hotel.
MARINA explained the objectives of the activity, such as to enhance media understanding of the agency’s mandate, programs, and regulatory functions; provide practical exposure through boarding different types of vessels; familiarize media partners with maritime safety enforcement and domestic shipping operations; and strengthen MARINA’s engagement with media stakeholders to support responsible reporting on maritime issues.
Media familiarization tour itinerary
Day 1 (March 23), kicked off at the MARINA Central Office along Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Intramuros, Manila, for the media assembly, and a pre-departure briefing for activities, the various objectives, the Do’s and Don’t’s for safety and orderly conduct of the familiarization tour before travelling to Batangas Port.
Day 2 (March 24), arrival to Barangay Caticlan, then travel to the CBTMPC for a Brief Orientation at its Business Center Office, before proceeding via ferry to check in at the Golden Phoenix Hotel on Boracay Island, across Barangay Caticlan, then travel to the island’s Jetty Port to conduct the Ship Onboard Familiarization.
Day 3 (March 25), MARINA brings the media to Barangay Caticlan, then proceeds to the Boatyard in Nabas, Aklan; then back to the hotel for Maritime Activities, such as Mobile Licensing, Inspection, Local Interviews, at Mandarin Island Hotel, Station 2, Barangay Balabag, Boracay, Aklan.
Day 4 (March 26), MARINA has graciously granted the Manila-based media members a whole day Personal Time to explore the Boracay Island, not the least it’s world-famous white beach dotted with beachfront hotels and resorts teeming with humanity, both local and international tourists.
Day 5 (March 27), MARINA brings the media partners to Barangay Caticlan from their hotel for the return journey to Batangas City and then to home, Manila.
By then, the five-day familiarization tour should have improved media’s understanding of MARINA’s mandate and maritime operations; they should have been exposed to hands-on exposure to ship operations and maritime regulatory activities; their collaboration with the maritime agency should have been boosted; ample documentation and media coverage for MARINA’s public information initiatives; and provide feedback for the agency’s future media engagement programs.
For sure, media members would be anticipating the next iteration of the MARINA Ship Onboard Familiarization with Media Partners.
The 17 media members’ batch is the first and pioneer in the MARINA Ship Onboard Familiarization educational tour to help amplify the maritime regulatory agency’s mandate and get them closer to the stakeholders. — EDD K. Usman (©)
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The author
EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)