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The Department of Transportation and its attached maritime and port agencies signed a joint memorandum circular against overloading on domestic ships to ensure safety of seagoing passengers, especially during peak travel periods
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The circular between DOTr, Philippine Ports Authority, Maritime Industry Authority, and Philippine Coast Guard requires coordination among the agencies to prevent overloading of passengers and roll-on/roll-off cargoes on domestic ships
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Under the JMC, all domestic shipping lines should submit to PPA and PCG a copy of the MARINA-approved vessel passenger capacity for each vessel in their fleet
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Shipping lines are also strictly prohibited from selling or issuing tickets beyond the MARINA-approved passenger capacity of their vessels and no passenger in excess of the MARINA-approved capacity should be allowed to board a vessel, regardless of possession of a paid ticket
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached maritime and port agencies signed a joint memorandum circular (JMC) against overloading on domestic ships to ensure safety of seagoing passengers, especially during peak travel periods.
The JMC between DOTr, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), signed on April 8, aims to ensure coordination among the agencies to prevent overloading of passengers and roll-on/roll-off cargoes on domestic ships, Transport Secretary Vince Dizon said in a press briefing following inspection of Batangas port’s passenger terminal building on April 10.
Passenger safety especially during peak season is a key concern, the transport chief said. He noted that in the past overloading was a big problem, which he said will no longer be allowed to happen.
He warned shipping lines that government is serious about safety and won’t compromise security of passengers.
Under the JMC, which Dizon said he signed on April 8, all domestic shipping lines should submit to PPA and PCG a copy of the MARINA-approved vessel passenger capacity for each vessel in their fleet.
Shipping lines are also strictly prohibited from selling or issuing tickets beyond the MARINA-approved passenger capacity of their vessels. Ticketing systems should be configured to automatically cap ticket sales in accordance with their approved capacity.
No passenger in excess of the MARINA-approved capacity should be allowed to board a vessel, regardless of possession of a paid ticket.
Shipping lines are responsible for ensuring any offloaded passenger due to overcapacity shall, at the option of the passenger, be reimbursed the full amount paid for his/her ticket, or be accommodated on the next available voyage and given boarding priority over confirmed passengers on such voyage.
PCG will be checking if passengers in a vessel exceed capacity. Even prior to the JMC, PCG already conducts pre-departure inspection of ships.
PPA, MARINA, and the PCG should also jointly establish and maintain a shared and regularly updated information portal containing the approved passenger capacities of all domestic carriers.
Any violation on the provisions of the JMC, including but not limited to overloading or allowing boarding beyond approved capacity, shall constitute a breach of MARINA regulations and shall be subject to appropriate administrative sanctions, including possible suspension or revocation of the vessel’s authority to operate.
Under MARINA rules, overloading or the carrying of passengers and/or cargoes beyond the vessel’s authorized loading capacity is a violation that is subjected to fines and penalties.
Aside from the JMC, MARINA earlier launched its intensified monitoring of passenger vessels’ compliance with safety rules and regulations ahead of the expected influx of passengers during the Holy Week. The random inspection of passenger vessels will be conducted from April 1-12 on various routes, mostly in the nautical highway, where there is heavy passenger traffic especially during peak travel seasons.
READ: MARINA monitors ships’ safety compliance ahead of Lent
As of April 11, MARINA said it has conducted compliance inspections on 103 passenger ships, with 10 ships (9.7%) temporarily suspended due to safety-related deficiencies; six of which have already been cleared after verification of required corrective actions.
The remaining four vessels will remain suspended until all deficiencies have been corrected and verified by MARINA inspectors.
