A WEB page enabling workers to gain rapid access to essential information about their health and safety rights and responsibilities has been set up by the Health and Safety Executive.

The "workers’ webpage" http://www.hse.gov.uk/ workers
- covers the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees, as well as issues such as ‘whistle-blowing’ and reporting accidents.

NAVIGATOR'S Diary

Marina Endangers Maritime Safety - PCG

Philippine Coast Guard Vice Admiral Arthur Gosingan said with the current number of Marina personnel, there would be a ratio of 1 person to 1 port which would only be fine if only one vessel leaves a port at a time.

Recently a new law, the Domestic Shipping Development Act of 2004 (DSDA), transferred all inspections of vessels in compliance with safety and security measure from the Philippine Coast Guard to the Maritime Industry Autho- rity (MARINA). 

“In cases of the country’s major ports such as the North and South Harbor, Cebu Port, Gen. Santos, Cagayan de Oro and others wherein multiple vessels leave and arrive at the same time, imagine the delay it will bring to the vessel’s commercial operations and the inconvenience it will bring to the riding public,” Gosingan said.

Gosingan stressed that the issuance of the Certificate of Inspection alone will give quite a hard time to MARINA since they do not have the manpower to inspect all vessels, compromising therefore the vessel’s safety.  He added that the operation of vessels will be experiencing major delays considering the maritime laws MARINA would implement.

“Coastguard with a manpower of almost 4,000 have so much difficulty implementing the laws, what more an agency of only 400?” Gosingan pointed out.

Prior to DSDA, PCG conducted all vessel inspections related to safety, PCG could only cover at least 200 major ports in the country and at least 400 secondary ports with at least 3 personnel per detachment. PCG said they no longer supervise the remaining 500 ports because of manpower shortage and lack of funds.

PCG was asked to submit a position paper on the matter prior to the enactment of the law and feels that their proposition was apparently not considered.

Gosingan added that they would be willing to make a Memorandum of Agreement with MARINA to erase the looming problem, on PCG’s discretion of course.

NENACO  POSTS P902-M LOSS IN 6 MONTHS

Negros Navigation (NENACO) reported a P902 million net loss for the first six months of the year. A far cry from last year’s P63 million.

Metro Pacific Corp., NENACO’s parent company blamed the losses on lower passage and freight revenues. A mere P965 million compared to last year’s P1.3 billion.

The company had fewer ships plying the routes due to extended dry-docking and the temporary restraining order enforced on a number of their vessels last year. Losses also went higher due to the on-going financial account “clean up” under the company’s rehabilitation plan. Higher financing charges due to penalties on past loans, the increase in non-recurring charges related to amortization of deferred dry-docking costs, the written-down vessels, property and equipment, prior periods’ capitalization of repairs and maintenance and other provisions against/write-down or receivables, inventory and other assets amounting to P118 million, P225 million and P224 million respectively all contributed to the high loss incurred by NENACO. (Source: MALAYA)

SBSR DROPS 9%

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) reported a 9% drop in the number of shipbuilding, ship repair (SBSR) enterprises. From 114 companies that were issued licenses to operate, the number has dropped to 104 on companies.

MARINA noted that 20 to 21 percent of the companies were issued licenses by the Central Office (CO) while 83 companies were issued permits by MARINA regional offices throughout the country.

Eighty-eight shipyards were inspected from January to June this year, 18% lower than the 107 recorded du- ring the same period last year. From the total, 41% are located under the jurisdiction of the CO while 59% are in the regions.

A total of 15 permits have been issued for emergency repair and dry-docking vessels.

RP JOINS DRIVE TO SAVE SEA TERRITORY

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is harmonizing peacekeeping activities in Asian waters.

The Philippines is already looking into setting up maritime safety treaties with fellow Asian countries; Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. All northern parts of the country have been following existing treaties in the South.

This, as an answer to problems Asian countries encounter: terrorism, environmental protection smuggling, safety navigation and maritime piracy. 

MOAC has already sought the help of agencies and private organizations on the proposal. These include the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Transnational Crime, Maritime Training Council, Filipino Shipowners Associtaion, National Security Council, Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, National Defense College of the Philippines, Office of the Special Envoy on Transnational Crime and the Department of Transportation and Communications.

In a letter to MOAC chief Alberto Encomienda, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has already expressed support to the plan stressing the importance of the enforcement of the International Ship and port facility Security Code.

Said strategy is already in place in BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asian Growth Area) and is feasible among our other Asian counterparts.

US OK’S RP ON ISPS

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has deemed the Philippines ISPS Code compliant.

USCG recently failed 17 states: Albania, Equatorial, Guinea, Kiribati, Madagascar, Nigeria, Solomon Island, Benin, Lebanon, Mozambique, Serbia and Montenegro, Suriname, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nauru and Sierra Leone.

The Philippine Coastguard said their US counterpart has already advised all maritime countries to take note of the list. 

The agency added that they will be issuing another list by November 9 which will include a new port security advisory to warn all vessels arriving at the US ports from non-compliant countries of the additional security measures imposed.

The Philippines’ inclusion in the USCG ISPS compliant list, aside from IMO’s own list ensures the country’s continuous trade relationships with other countries.

SLI LAUNCHES NEW SHIP

Sulpicio Lines, Inc. (SLI) foresees a 28 to 30 percent growth for the second half of the year with the launching of their newest cargo vessel, Princess of the Stars.

Sulpicio also sees a 3 to 5 percent increase in its market share in the Manila-Cebu-Manila route where the vessel is deployed. At present, Sulpicio has a market share of 25% of both cargo and passenger traffic coming in and out of the region.

Salvacion Buaron, SLI’s vice-president for passage said the vessel can carry at least 220-foot equivalent units (TEU) per way and almost 2000 passengers. 

Sulpicio is positive that they can get a larger chunk of the country’s domestic trades as they can now accommodate more cargoes from among our top shippers.

The 23,000 gross tons vessel replaced Princess of the Universe which will be transferred to the Manila-Cebu-Zamboanga-Davao-Gen San-Manila route. 

Sulpicio Lines launched Princess of the Stars last September 3, 2004.

Stop  Panama assessment  on Pinoy  seafarers __ UFS 

STOP the assessment of Filipino seafarers working onboard Panamanian flag vessels, UFS President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez has stressed. 

For more than three years, United Filipino Seafarers had been protesting on this illegal assessment of Filipino seafarers who want to work onboard Panamanian vessels. “How many times should the Filipino seafarers be assessed on their competence? The first assessment is after their training in which they are given their certificates. The se-           cond assessment is when they go to Marina where they get their Seafarers Identification and Record Book (SIRB). Third is when they go to Technical Education, Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to get their certificate of compentency. Fourth, is when they go to the National Assessment Center (NAC). Seafarers in other countries do not undergo unnecessary hassles,” Ramirez said. 

He added what is more anomalous is that when one training center that do not even have the equipment on the courses, which they assess are the ones given the accreditation to assess by the Panamanian Embassy. “This is not only illegal it is also highly immoral. Now that Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas revealed that the Philippines has signed bilateral agreements between 31 countries and among them is in compliance with the regulations of the International Maritime Organization’s Standards on Training, Certification and Watchkeeping  (STCW), the Panamanian assessment on Filipino seafarers must be stopped immediately,” he stressed. The UFS President said violators of these accords must be punished for mulcting the innocent seafarers.

The labor secretary has said that maritime accords recognizing Filipino seafarers’ certificates attest to the world-class standards and excellence of Filipino workers who account for more than 20 percent of the world’s seamen. 

Sto. Tomas said that the accords have been forged in line with the thrust of the present administration that gives priority to overseas Filipino workers. 

The labor department’s International Labor Affairs Service showed that 31 countries and territories that signed an agreement with the Philippines between 2001 and 2004 for the recognition of seafarers’ certificates were: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brunei, Cambodia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican, Georgia, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kuwait, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Norway, Panama, Singapore, Sweden, The Netherlands and Vanuatu. 

PRC Launches 1st Walk-In Examination System; UFS Says It’s About Time

OUT with the pen and paper.

This was what the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) hoped to accomplish as it launched its first “Walk-In Examination System (WES) for aspiring marine, deck and engine officers taking the board.

The PRC-WES has its maiden “sail” last October 25, 2004 at the agency’s main office in Sampaloc, Manila.

Using computer technology to provide nearly instant randomization, extraction and electronic transmission, the WES allows very little human intervention, only in the pressing of buttons to randomize and transmit. 
“On this day, October 25, 2004, we gathered for a most awaited and historic moment: that of launching the PRC Walk-in Examination System (WES). 

“This is the fulfillment of a promise and the fruition of a vision to provide a reliable system and measure of competency to assure the public that those who possess the genuine PRC license are truly competent and qualified to serve their needs,” said Commissioner A. dela Rea.

Dela Rea explained the WES project was aimed at limiting the written examinations to only twice a year while the rest of the marine examinations would be undertaken with the aid of computers.

For her part, PRC Chairperson Alcestis M. Guiang said: “This is the realization of the dream of PRC and dawning of the era of the Maritime profession.” 

“ UFS has been clamoring for the walk-in computer assisted examinations since the birth of the organization. After 10 years of perseverance, at long last,  we have seen the fruit of our efforts. 

“The UFS started this crusade since the time of Commissioner Hermogenes Pobre and then the time of Commissioner Alfonso Abad,”  Tinig ng Marino publisher Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez said.

Ramirez added: “But we only started to see a glimmer of hope during the time of chairperson Antonieta Fortuna-Ibe because she was the one who really worked hard in looking for the funds and in the transparent bidding although she was no longer involved in the algorithm.”

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/phpBB2