MANA Mo (2)

My first article on MANA Mo came out in this column on Oct. 16 last year, after President Duterte declared the month of September as the MANA Mo (Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month).

I presented then the challenges and opportunities that we face for being a MAN and some of our major initiatives.

I concluded that understanding our being a MAN and facing the challenges and opportunities arising from it requires public awareness and support.

This year, a MANA Mo Core Group and the National Coast Watch Council, with members mostly from government and civil society, are leading activities with the theme “Inclusive and People-Centered Development Through Maritime Heritage Awareness.”

On the other hand, the business community actively participated in the Arangkada Philippines Forum 2018 of the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines.

The Forum was held on Sept. 12, with a session on ports, shipping and the blue economy. Arangkada also distributed copies of its policy brief on seaports and shipping, which concludes, “The future is very bright for seaports and shipping in the Philippines.”

It presents the major barriers that still need to be overcome, with recommendations that need strong public-private partnership for implementation.

The recommendations include improving governance and the regulatory environment, enhancing port facilities and safety, and reducing domestic shipping costs.

The MANA Mo is about to end now, with still low public awareness of it and little public participation in the scheduled activities because weather, economic, and political developments are the ones in the headlines.

With poor public awareness and supportive participation in facing the challenges and opportunities arising from our being a MAN, how far can we go?

To help address this issue, the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Citizen’s Support Your Navy Foundation Philippines, Inc. (CSYNFPI) have partnered to develop the Mobile Marine and Naval Centrum (MMNC), the first in the Philippines and in the world in terms of mobility and focus.

Secretary Fortunato dela Peña of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) recognizes well the importance of the MMNC. Hence, the DOST is the main source of support for it. The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) and other partners and sponsors are also helping.

But more support is needed to develop all the planned MMNC sets to cover at least the largest local communities.

The MMNC aims to promote public awareness of the Philippines’ being a MAN, the challenges and opportunities arising from being so, and the importance of naval security and defense.

It will educate the public on the importance of knowing, conserving, and protecting the Philippines’ marine biodiversity and resources; the natural phenomena on the marine environment; and some important science-based principles, methods, processes, and technological advances affecting the marine environment.

It will introduce marine, maritime, and naval programs and projects, especially those requiring public participation and support.

We expect visitors to an MMNC exhibition to be affected and influenced by the exhibits at the level of KAP: Knowledge (The MMNC will provide information and learning on the marine environment and the PN.), Attitude (The MMNC will elicit positive attitude toward the marine environment and the PN.) and Practice (The MMNC will encourage positive, supportive actions.)

It is my honor to lead the MMNC team, which includes TOWNS (The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service) awardees Dr. Laura David and Dr. Maricor Soriano from UP, CSYNFPI Executive Director Czarina Sacaguing, engineers and technologist headed by engineer Jennifer Enriquez from the Technological Institute of the Philippines, and Col. Ric Petrola and Col. Nes Marcelino and their staff from the PN.

We hope the Balangay Team headed by Art Valdez and Diskursong Teritoryo with Ces Noble, who participated during the conceptualization of this project, will find time to resume their participation in this work that has only started.

This project would have not taken off without their active participation in it and the top-level support from VAdm (ret.) Eduardo Ma Santos, CSYNFPI Chair/President, and past PN Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) VAdm (ret.) Ronald Joseph Mercado and current FOIC Robert Empedrad.

We have designed 55 science-based interactive exhibits and we are presenting at least 35 of them starting today, Sept. 24, until Sept. 27 at the lower ground of Mega A, SM Mega Mall.

We will conduct lectures on marine and naval topics and a KAP survey with raffle.

We will also present outstanding artworks, books and other publications, and musical numbers.

A recruitment booth will welcome those who want to join the PN.

After this first exhibition, we will bring the MMNC around the country with supportive information, education, and communication activities, e.g., lectures on marine, maritime, naval, and other blue environment subjects, including climate change.

Target beneficiaries of the MMNC are “Young Ones” from age 10 to 20 and “Young Once”—adults, especially teachers and community leaders.

We will also target groups involved in economic activities that tap, or impact on, the marine environment, e.g., fisher folks and fish pond operators. We hope the MMNC will help bring about a higher level of KAP among them.

The MMNC will benefit from the experience of the Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology (PFST) in operating one stationary and seven mobile science centrums. One of those recently received a prestigious global award, the Riy Shafer Leading Edge Award from the international Association of Science and Technology Centers.

The MMNC has a long way to go to match that, but we are taking the first few steps now. Visit MMNC and find out how you can become part of this project.

God blessed us with the center of the center marine biodiversity in the world and the PN is our country’s first line of defense.

It is our basic concern to know them well so we may conserve our marine resources and support our naval force.