Marina and PCG strengthen rules enforcement over domestic ships

Marina and PCG strengthen rules enforcement over domestic ships
Bernie Cahiles Magkilat August 13, 2018 https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/08/13/marina-and-pcg-strengthen-rules-en...

The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reinforce its partnership to toughen the enforcement of maritime rules and regulations over domestic ships plying the Philippine seas.

The strengthening of Marina-PCG partnership occurred at the two-day calibration workshop held in Manila, from August 8-9, 2018. The workshop aimed to synchronize the Marina’s regulatory functions and PCG’s enforcement functions relative to the rules and regulations in promoting maritime safety and security.

At the calibration workshop, PCG personnel were briefed on various Marina-issued certifications and/or documents. It also served as an avenue to raise common problems they encountered during inspections, such as the proliferation of fake documents.

Marina and PCG work hand-in-hand in identifying possible improvements in domestic shipping regulations and in formulating solutions to advance their systems and processes. The calibration workshop was one of the moves in realizing these objectives.

“Ultimately, knowledge-sharing activities like this calibration workshop strengthen the collaboration between Marina and PCG, as agents of the Philippine maritime industry,” Marina Deputy Administrator for Operations Nanette Villamor-Dinopol said.

The calibration workshop focused on discussions about ship acquisition and accreditation of domestic shipping entities, ship registration and licensing, ship safety survey and safe manning requirement, implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM), and tonnage measurement, stability and load line survey, assignment, marking and certification.

Other issues including franchising, crew certification and documentation on-board domestic ships, and special permit for Philippine flag ships were also tackled.

The PCG, for its part, conducted an actual presentation of its domestic vessels inspection procedure, for Marina’s guidance.