The Maritime Industry Authority Regional Office VII (MARINA 7) has intensified maritime safety enforcement in its area of jurisdiction through the rollout of the National Validation Inspection (NVI) on Ship Safety Compliance.
The initiative is expected to enhance passenger safety and operational reliability by verifying the continuing compliance of domestic vessels, identifying critical safety deficiencies, and establishing a more uniform framework for validation inspection and enforcement actions.
Pursuant to MARINA Advisory No. 2026-12, MARINA 7, spearheaded by Regional Director Engr. Ronaldo P. Bandalaria, deployed three inspection teams to cover key maritime areas in Central, Northern, and Southern Cebu, extending as far as Dumaguete City and the provinces of Siquijor and Bohol.
The inspections focus on critical ship safety components, including life-saving appliances, fire-fighting equipment, watertight and weathertight integrity, vessel stability, propulsion and auxiliary machinery, navigation and communication equipment, alarm systems, and emergency preparedness and drills.
The NVI forms part of MARINA’s broader efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight and proactively address safety risks in domestic shipping.
