Compliance of the certification issued by the Maritime Industry Authority
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)called on the stricter compliance of the certification issued by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on seaworthiness of shipping vessels following several reported maritime and grounding incidents over the past months.
Lieutenant Commander AlgierRicafrente, Coast Guard Public Affairs chief said that the call was made by the country’s maritime law enforcement agency due to reported grounding and collision incidents involving commercial vessels over the past month, the most recent grounding incident in Tacloban City last Tuesday, where the PCG already hired accredited divers to conduct inspection on M/T NongNuj after it ran aground while maneuvering along the vicinity of an oil depot.
Ricafrente mentioned that the MARINA should impose high standards and stricter penalties when it comes to vessel safety matters since they have recorded at least 12 grounding incidents since the start of the year, while collision incidents were recorded since May which is quite unusual compare to their previous records in the past.Ricafrente mentioned that the MARINA should impose high standards and
He also noted the MARINA is the main agency that has the authority to impose stricter rules on seaworthiness of the shipping vessels while the Coast Guard is tasked to implement whatever rules may be imposed by MARINA.
With regards to the latest incident, the investigation conducted by Coast Guard Station-Tacloban revealed that several dents, estimated to be an inch in depth, and scratches of about a foot in length and width were spotted beneath the vessel.
Based on the Marine protest which was submitted to the Coast Guard Station-Tacloban revealed that the vessel was running at the speed of six knots when it went aground at the vicinity of Shell Anbong Pier. It was ordered to be anchored back.
The said steel and double-hulled tanker was loaded with 664.50 metric tons of petroleum products, when the incident took place at around 2:28 p.m. and was supposedly bound for Calapan, Mindoro.
Last August 15, a similar incident happened after a passenger-cargo vessel reportedly ran aground while sailing along the vicinity off Cabalaoan Island in Coron in the Palawan.
Meanwhile, MARINA Administrator Emerson Lorenzo recently signed the suspension order on the remaining cargo ships owned and operated by Polsa Shipping Lines Inc. due to the collision incident involving M/VBulk Carrier 1 and the M/V HS Puccini in Saragani Strait last August 9.
Source: Manila Bulletin
