MANILA — The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is pushing to reduce by half the number of maritime accidents in the country by 2021.
Administrator Rey Guerrero said this as MARINA seeks to create a policy framework that will ensure the safety of ships and passengers.
“We are starting to craft a maritime safety action plan where we intend to reduce these by half on 2021 and zero on 2025,” Guerrero said in an interview with reporters at the sidelines of the maritime safety forum in Pasay City Tuesday.
“We need to ensure that the shipping industry grows but also provide safe and secure shipping services,” he added.
He said the agency recorded around 64 maritime accidents in the country this year which were mostly caused by ships running aground compared to 32 incidents in 2015 and 2016.
MARINA has monitored and recorded sea accidents through the use of information technology and its coordination with various agencies such as the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy, he added.
“Through surveillance of the ships we are able to monitor real time the incidents happening at sea,” Guerrero said.
Meanwhile, Angkla Party-list, a group representing Filipino seafarers, has filed various legislative measures to ensure the development of the maritime sector.
Among these bills include House Bill 460 that aims to provide a single classification of all vessels plying inland waters and open seas which was approved by the House Committee on Transportation last August.
“Once this is passed, it will prevent situations where errant ship owners obtain certification that their vessel is seaworthy by threatening to bring their business to any of the six other classification societies. The principal concern of classification societies should be safety and not responsibility,” Capt. Ronald Enrile, who represented Angkla Rep. Jesulito Manalo, said in his address.
Angkla is also pushing for the acquisition of towing tanks to improve the design and seaworthiness of Philippine vessels.
“It is unacceptable that the Philippines despite being the fourth largest ship-building country in the world has no towing tank. This towing tank will allow Filipino ship designers to test the stability and safety of new designs in various situations,” Enrile said.
Carlos Salinas, Ambassador for Maritime of the International Maritime Organization, said the Philippines must be able to ensure that its policies must be compliant with international maritime safety standards.
He said the country has emerged as a leading supplier of maritime professionals in the world.
“A framework must be developed based on the following factors: developing a mindset of prevention, seeks to address safety and security of shipping operations, creating a capability for immediate and effective mitigation which seeks to moderate the effects of an accident if the preventive measures fail and capacity for proper compensation which seeks to reinstate what has been damaged or lost because of an accident,” Salinas said.
He stressed the urgency of ensuring maritime safety and protection of maritime environment in the country.
“We must strive to provide a shipping platform that is reliable, safe and fully attuned to delivering a public service that we can become proud of. Safety is not only limited to construction of the ships but also their management as well as the skills and competence of the crew,” Salinas said.
The maritime transport forum tackled various issues particularly the government’s legislative agenda on maritime safety, maritime safety advocacies, shipping as a blue economy, among others. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
