Nearly three years since the start of the global pandemic, the Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro conducted a face-to-face meeting with the Port and Maritime Management Council (PMMAC) and Port Security Advisory Committee (PSAC) for the 3rd Quarter of the year on 27 September 2022 at the PPA PMO Admin Building 2, Port of Cagayan de Oro.
The said meeting has been conducted virtually due to restrictions on physical gatherings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the PMMAC and PSAC gathered to discuss updates on port infrastructure development projects, port related concerns and advisories, and the National Maritime Week Celebration activities. The main subject of the meeting was the preparation for the Inter-Agency Capability and Operability Simulation Exercise, one of the major highlights for the Maritime Week scheduled on the next day. The Coast Guard District of Northern Mindanao spearheaded the exercise and presented the scenarios and protocols to be executed, as well as the roles and contribution of each agency.
Additionally, matters on the improvement of port operations were also taken up during the meeting. The PMMAC discussed the PPA Operations Memorandum Order No. 01-2022 “Interim Guidelines on PPA Accreditation and Permit to Operate” which was issued on 19 September 2022 in compliance with the directive from the Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista to reduce shipping and transportation costs. The port stakeholders and shipping agencies were informed of the updated processes in relation thereto and were able to voice out their concerns as well. These concerns were noted by the PMO and will be further discussed in a separate meeting.
The PMMAC and PSAC joint meetings are conducted quarterly to ensure the efficiency and sustainability of port operations, as well as enhance the protocols implemented for the security and safety of passengers and stakeholders.-BCAcedera