As an archipelagic nation located in the intersection of major trade routes and strategic bodies of water, the history of The Philippines and the Filipino people was shaped and defined by its maritime geography and features. From the Ancient Balangays and Spanish Galleons up to the modern freighters, the Philippines have always been a maritime nation.
Since 2015, Museo Maritimo has taken initiatives in organizing maritime heritage forums as a way to build up the overall knowledge and facilitate continuous dialogue on Philippine maritime history. Moreover, the undertaking is in accordance with the object of AIMS to become the Home of Maritime Knowledge Exchange in the country. The forums contextualize the Philippine maritime past as an organizing principle for the realization of the Philippines as a maritime nation. Its primary objective is to examine the maritime opportunities of the Philippines in relation to its maritime history and heritage. It involves discussions and studies which can help define the Philippines as a maritime nation by using its maritime past as a backdrop.