Marina eyes new home in Manila port area

After a devastating fire forced it to spend a week in cramped quarters, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) expects to move to a permanent office in Manila this week. Marina Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr said Tuesday they expect to move their facilities to a building owned by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in Port Area. "We're looking to move within this week. We have a prospect, a building owned by the PPA, in Port Area," Suazo said in Filipino during an interview on dzRH radio. He said the Marina leadership had been holding temporary office at a small space in a building across the PPL Building, the former home of the Marina. A predawn fire hit the PPL building on Wednesday last week. Firefighters declared the fire out before midnight, but the fire restarted before dawn Thursday. Citing initial reports from arson investigators, he said a short circuit likely caused last week's fire. He said they have been staying at the Marina's Seaman's Identification Record Book Processing Unit at a nearby building since the fire. "We've been there since the fire. We've tried to serve the public from that small office," he said. As this developed, Suazo appealed anew to seamen and manning agencies not to go to the Marina office yet to follow up on their Seaman's Book applications especially if the need is not yet urgent. He said his agency is now prioritizing those due to leave soon, especially those who already secured their plane tickets for deployment abroad. In a separate interview on dzBB radio, Suazo said he expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to give a commitment on Seaman's Book delivery dates. "It is important that we get a definite schedule of delivery dates from the BSP. I expect the BSP to give its commitment within this week," he said. - GMANews.TV