3 government vessels moored, 
gathering rust, at Pier 15

ABOUT a year ago, Tinig ng Marino spotted three vessels -- two dredging  and a marine research ship -- berthed at the South Harbor. Certainly, there's nothing wrong about it, except that it's been there for almost a year and there is nary a sign that it will soon set out to sea for the tasks these ships are designed to be.

Tinig wonders whether there are souls that rev the main engines and auxiliaries, including other equipment of these vessels regularly to prevent the moving parts from "stocking up." Likewise, there are no signs that these vessels are kept at a minimum level of maintenance. Now, noticeable traces of rust are beginning to accumulate in the usual places.

One of two dredging ships
 

What escapes Tinig's understanding is that many ports in the country need dredging to allow more and bigger ships to call port. Do you remember that not too long ago, a 13,000-ton Sulpicio Lines vessel M/V Princess of the Orient (the ship later on sank off the coast of Cavite one stormy night a couple of years ago) ran aground while approaching to berth at North Harbor. Blame was on the shallow approach to the pier. M/V Princess of the Orient has to pump out ballast everytime it approaches North Harbor because it is a deep draft ship. However, pumping out and pumping in ballast was not enough. Tinig believes that the main factor in the incident was the inability of the master to fully cope with the situation prior to sailing on full sea speed.

In the 20-year port development plan drafted during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos, planners identified at least 80 percent of the country's more than 200 major and minor ports that need dredging to accommodate bigger ships "for greater volume of freight and more passage."

According to Transportation Secretary Vicente Rivera, the first and most import-ant step to port development is to make these accessible to larger and bigger vessels that could dramatically increase the volume of cargo and number of passage in these ports.

Rivera emphasized the need to develop these ports to accommodate more types of vessels not only for trade purposes but more specifically to boost the country's tourism objectives. These, the secretary noted, in obvious reference to the state of the ports today, is the only setback to making the country one of the best in Asia, in its bid to pole-vault development in the maritime industry.

So, what are the two dredging vessels doing at Pier 15 if there is such a dire need for port dredging? Why not put to good use these vessels instead of allowing them to corrode and further exacerbate the prob-lem? And once rust renders the ship not sea worthy and time takes toll on its equipment, it will be "moored forever," clogging the pier and using valuable space thereat, until some smart-aleck-of-a-commissioner (komisyon nang komis-yon) puts the ships on the auction block to make a hefty "commission" from the deal -- much more than what the govern-ment will ultimately get.

The marine research vessel "DA-BFAR"
 

The other ship "DA-BFAR," a marine research vessel is a dream ship for every marine researcher or scientist. With its high-tech gizmos and state-of-the-art equipment, the vessel could provide a more extensive and exhaustive study of our vast marine resources, providing valuable data not only to science but to our planners and policy-makers as well. Take for instance the UP marine research institute, which we understand, is using hired bancas for very important studies like the one it is conducting in Bolinao, Pangasinan. What a waste of resources, huh?

Now, the Department of Agriculture and its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources officials, whenever they receive flak, answer back with the usual griping-and-whining about the lack of resources, particularly equipment in doing its man-dated tasks. Surely, the vessel sitting idly at Pier 15 is the answer and all they have to do is to operate it. But what are they doing? Are they trying to find other reasons for not doing their job? Or are they simply too lazy and indolent that they prefer to stay moored in their air-conditioned rooms rather than go out there where they must work and put to good use this valuable asset?

Again, Tinig won't be surprised if what's on their mind is to make a "one-time" deal with this ship just like M/V Filipinas. We're not saying that they'll be making oodles but it comes as a natural "compensation" for  commissioners in government.

You can now join or start any discussion on seafarer's issues anytime or anywhere you are with
Usapang Marino
(Seafarer's Forum)
at URL: http://www.ufs.ph/discus