The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has lifted the moratorium on the accreditation of ship classification societies for three months, effectively allowing the entry of more societies to classify ships in the domestic trade.

The development was welcomed by Philippine Inter-island Shipping Association (PISA) executive director Atty. Pedro Aguilar. He told PortCalls in a phone interview, however, that the three-month period may not be enough time to work on an accreditation application. This, he said, is based on the experience of some classification societies whose applications were deemed denied last year when the period for application ended after October 16, 2021. Aguilar said he plans to request MARINA to clarify if such denied applications may be reactivated.

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