As part of its Verano Canal outreach activities, the Panama Canal hosted an informational dialogue on March 14 with media representatives from Panama’s central provinces, aiming to keep local communities informed about the key initiatives being advanced by the interoceanic waterway. Journalists from Herrera, Los Santos, Veraguas, and Coclé took part in the session and met with Human Capital Vice President Rubén Pérez and Finance Vice President Víctor Vial.
During the event, attendees received updates on several projects of strong public interest, including the Canal’s new employment portal, which was designed to streamline talent recruitment as the institution prepares for generational transition and the execution of future projects. According to Pérez, nearly 3,000 Canal employees are expected to retire over the next decade, prompting the organization to strengthen its long-term workforce strategy to safeguard the waterway’s future sustainability.
Pérez also noted that the new jobs portal was launched to attract talent more efficiently, while plans are in place to reopen the Apprentices School to train skilled workers in technical trades such as welding, electrical systems, and high-pressure pipe installation.
For his part, Finance Vice President Víctor Vial addressed the Canal’s business performance and highlighted that, following initiatives such as the expansion project and the strengthening of its business model in recent years, nearly 5% of global trade now passes through the Panama Canal. He also outlined projects under the Canal’s 2025–2035 Vision, which seeks to transform the waterway from a route focused solely on vessel transit into a comprehensive logistics platform that leverages Panama’s strategic geographic position to generate greater economic benefits for the country.
Within that framework, Vial explained that initiatives such as the gas pipeline, logistics corridor, port development, and the Río Indio lake project could together represent an estimated investment of approximately $8.5 billion and help strengthen the annual contributions the Canal makes to Panama’s National Treasury. Those contributions have shown steady growth in recent years, reaching nearly $3 billion in the last fiscal year.
The Panama Canal said it will continue expanding its engagement with audiences across the country to share updated information on the administration, plans, and projects of the interoceanic waterway, which remains a national asset for all Panamanians.
