A THOMASIAN has been appointed as the country’s maritime attaché to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Lawyer Jean Ver Pia, a political science alumna, will assist in the promotion of the country’s ship registry and the protection of Filipino seafarers.
“My exposure and learnings in the international arena will be cascaded to the maritime administration and Philippine authorities in order to open us to different perspectives on policy formulation to implementation, new technologies, systems and procedures,” she said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
Prior to her appointment, Pia was the director of the Overseas Shipping Service of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) since 2015.
She supervised the country’s international shipping registry as well as forged maritime agreements with partner countries.
Pia obtained her bachelor’s degree from UST in 1994 and finished her bachelor of laws from San Beda College in 1999.
The International Maritime Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent pollution from ships.
Last Dec. 10, the country was re-elected into the IMO Council, which acts as a governing body in between assembly sessions of the organization’s 174 member states. Faith Nicole S. Gelacio
