WMOC Group of Companies draws praises for successful Expo Maritime

people for staging the event.

“It is good to be a part of this event because we get to present what the Liberian Registry is all about and debunk any notion that we are a flag-of-convenience registry, because we are obviously not. In fact, before the end of the year, we might even become the No. 1 ship registry in the world in terms of number of ships registered,” Buchanan enthused.

The Expo Maritime Philippine 2023 held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza last February 16 and 17 served as an eye-opener to the local maritime industry and provided what could be a possible solution to the looming European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) decision on the fate of almost 50,000 Filipino officers serving onboard European-flagged vessels.

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WITH the successful holding of possibly the biggest event in the local maritime industry at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, the hardworking men and women of a maritime service provider company is drawing heaps and praises and comments of “Job well done.”

WMOC Group of Companies, which provides documentation and other ancillary services to the maritime industry over the last 10 years, courageously spearheaded the holding of the Expo Maritime Philippines 2023 last month at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza amid skepticism from several quarters in the maritime industry. Truth be told and when the dust settled after the event, WMOC and its management led by its President and CEO Rachelle B. Lopez and Vice President Noli Lopez, got all the felicitations and congratulatory messages for putting together a maritime industry event that only a governmentprivate sector collaboration can match moving forward.

No less than Atty. Brenda Pimentel, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Regional Coordinator for East

Asia, who supported and worked together with WMOC during the two-day event, expressed her elation for the success of the event. She was almost teary-eyed, hugging the Lopezes during the final day of the event for being brave enough to take on a formidable task and coming out of it with flying colors.

Capt. Juan E. Maltez, General Director of the General Directorate of Seafarers for the Panama Maritime Authority, who led a contingent that flew in from Panama just to be part of the Expo Maritime Philippines 2023, was also all praises for WMOC and its management for staging an international event.

“I am happy to be part of this event because it gives us the opportunity to speak about how Panama Maritime Authority can work together with Filipino seafarers and the Philippine maritime industry to take on future challenges,” Maltez said.

Gerry Buchanan, Managing Director of the Hong Kong office of The Liberian Registry, who also had a presentation during the two-day flag state convention of the Expo Maritime Philippines 2023, had nothing but good words for WMOC and its

The two-day event featured simultaneous conventions on flag states and ship-builders in addition to a separate local maritime expo featuring the products and services of some stakeholders in the Philippine maritime industry.

While the option of a possible solution to the EMSA problem of the Philippine maritime industry was not specifically mentioned, it was clear from the presence and presentations during the flag state convention of top officials of the Panamanian flag state and the Liberia ship registry as well as delegates from the Marshall Islands ship registry.

A former MARINA official, who also requested anonymity, said that “should the Philippines fail to make the EMSA audit and the license of Filipino ship officers onboard European-flagged vessels are noy recognized in the future, the same Filipino officers can opt to use their Panamanian license and continue serving onboard these vessels and the European shipowners will surely accept that.”

“It is indeed a good fallback and the maritime administration should really consider it as a viable option. Of course, we do not want to put the cart ahead of the horse but it is always better to be prepared that being left with no alternative and at the mercy of the decision of EMSA,” the same source added.