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Shipping groups deplored anew “persistent irregularities’ in harbor pilot services despite new guidelines on harbor pilots and pilotage services
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They reiterated their call for the Philippine Ports Authority to address the concerns
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These include unauthorized and arbitrary charges, unresolved conflict of interest issues, pilot availability and scheduling issues, and non-compliance with prescribed pilotage moves
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The groups said the recurring issues have undermined the intent of the new guidelines but also compounded inefficiencies and increased financial burdens for stakeholders
Shipping groups deplored anew “persistent irregularities” in harbor pilot services despite new guidelines on harbor pilots and pilotage services.
In a letter to Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Jay Daniel Santiago dated May 8, the groups reported “with deep concern” irregular practices on harbor pilotage services that “continue to persist unabated” even after PPA issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 01-2025. The order provides the new omnibus guidelines on harbor pilots and pilotage services.
READ: PPA issues revised policy on pilots, pilotage services
The letter was a follow-up from a joint communication that the groups—consisting of the Association of International Shipping Lines, Inc., Philippine Ship Agents Association, and Philippine Liner Shipping Association— sent PPA last February raising concerns regarding long-standing irregularities and malpractices involving harbor pilot services across various Philippine ports.
The service of harbor pilots remains compulsory for both international and domestic vessels.
“These recurring issues have not only undermined the intent of the new AO but have also compounded operational inefficiencies and increased financial burdens for both international and domestic shipping stakeholders,” the groups said in their May 8 letter.
AO 01-2025, which took effect last March, repeals the rules and regulations governing pilotage services and the conduct of pilots and pilotage fees under PPA AO 03-85, which was issued 40 years ago in March 1985.
During the public hearing in 2023 on the then proposed AO, PPA said its Board resolved to conduct a review and propose amendments to issuances governing pilotage to address the concerns of stakeholders and ensure consistency with new applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Still, the groups said they continue to observe practices that they say “reflect a disturbing pattern of non-compliance that contradicts the very objectives of AO 01-2025: to professionalize, regulate, and ensure the fairness and transparency of harbor pilot services in Philippine ports.”
For one, the groups claim that despite the issuance of AO 01-2025, harbor pilots continue to impose charges not sanctioned under existing PPA regulations, including unwarranted tug assistance fees and channeling charges in ports where no such channels have been officially declared by PPA.
Moreover, they said there are still reports of pilots “with vested interests in tugboat operations leveraging their role to favor specific service providers, forcing carriers to avail of services from affiliated companies under threat of non-service or undue delays.”
Another concern is the “unjustified delays due to pilot unavailability continue to disrupt vessel schedules, with incidents of vessels being deprived of timely boarding and undocking assignments.”
In several ports, the groups claim pilots continue to deviate from the standard moves outlined in AO 01- 2025, resulting in confusion and unnecessary charges.
Disparities in pilotage rates and unapproved upward rate adjustments are also still being imposed on domestic shipping lines, the groups said.
“These changes are made without undergoing the mandatory consultation and approval process set by the PPA,” they noted.
To address concerns, the groups reiterate their recommendations to PPA, including the conduct of a comprehensive compliance audit of harbor pilot services in all pilotage districts.
They also ask to enforce the provisions of AO 01-2025 and related regulations through stricter monitoring and disciplinary action, where warranted.
The groups are also asking PPA to establish a transparent complaints and redress mechanism to address reports of malpractice and abuse of authority by harbor pilots, as well as to initiate a stakeholder dialogue to assess the effectiveness of AO 01-2025 and explore amendments where necessary to ensure its successful implementation.
“As stakeholders invested in the safe, efficient, and competitive operation of Philippine ports, we remain committed to constructive engagement with the PPA. We respectfully seek your leadership in addressing these challenges and ensuring harbor pilot services align with the principles of transparency, accountability, and service excellence,” the groups stated.
As of press time, the groups have yet to receive a response from PPA. – Roumina Pablo
