Posted on September 23, 2026
By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (PoABI) to deepen cooperation in port development and management.
The MOU was signed by PPA General Manager Jay Santiago and PoABI Head of Business Development Maartje Driessens on Monday at the PPA Head Office.
In a statement on Tuesday, Santiago said the agreement covers knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the adoption of international best practices in the Philippine port sector.
The partnership covers port operations, planning and optimization, digitalization and smart port applications, safety and operational risk management, sustainability and green port operations, service quality management, and operational governance.
“This will provide opportunities for capacity building on operational readiness for public-private partnership (PPP) port projects, port crisis and emergency response management, cruise port development, and port strategy, as well as the exploration of potential investment opportunities related to port development,” he said.
On the other hand, Driessens said PoABI sees strong opportunities for knowledge exchange with PPA as the Philippine port sector pursues modernization in infrastructure, digitalization, sustainability, and safety.
“The Philippine Ports Authority is clearly moving toward full modernization of its port network, including upgrading physical infrastructure, digitizing operations, and strengthening green and safety standards,” she said.
She cited several PPA initiatives that caught PoABI’s attention, including improvements in passenger facilities, disaster resilience engineering, the implementation of ORAS and real-time data, and sustainability initiatives such as shore-based power supply and renewable energy.
ORAS, or the Online Reservation Assistance System, is the PPA’s online platform that allows passengers to reserve and purchase tickets in advance at select ports.
“These are initiatives where we can definitely learn from each other’s best practices and accelerate our growth strategies,” she added.
She also highlighted PPA’s public-private partnership initiatives as an area with potential for further knowledge sharing and international cooperation.
The collaboration also covers security and inter-agency integration, including efforts to connect port systems with other government agencies for more seamless services for port users.
PoABI provides consultancy, advisory, training, and management solutions for port and terminal-related projects internationally. (PNA)
