SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in Western Visayas on Monday kicked off its two-day information campaign and training for boat owners and captains at the provincial capitol here.
Juliet S. Nacion, MARINA Senior Maritime Industry Development specialist, said the activity, dubbed as “Modified Basic Safety Training”, was meant for boat owners to understand the importance of registering their passenger vessels and for the boat captain and motorman to be trained on first aid, rules of the sea, typhoon signal awareness, and the proper use of life jacket.
The free two-day training is facilitated by the Philippine Coast Guard Antique Station in partnership with the provincial government of Antique.
Nacion, however, said the boat captain and motorman have to pay for their license which is required by MARINA.
Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao pushed for the registration of passenger vessels with MARINA, especially with the planned temporary closure of the Mararison Island of Culasi town.
The temporary closure was prompted by reports that motorboats plying tourists from Lipata Port to the white-sand island are not registered. Mararison Island also has a problem on solid waste management.
“There are 64 motorboats operating from Culasi Port to Mararison Island,” Nacion said, adding he was informed by PCG that all motorboats are not registered with MARINA.
“We want to inform the boat owners and captains that they are not only there for business but also they have the responsibility with their passengers to make them feel secured and safe to use maritime transport in Antique,” she said.
She said they could ensure passengers of their safety if their vessels are duly registered with MARINA or otherwise they would be operating a “colorum” vessel.
Meanwhile, boat owner Thelma Palacios said she has three motorboats plying Lipata to Mararison and that she is now in the process of registering the boats with MARINA.
She said she has been operating the boats as part of their transport service for tourists since they have a hotel in Culasi town and many of their visitors would like to visit Mararison.
Aside from the boat owners in Culasi, there are also boat owners, captains and motormen operating from Anini-y town to Nogas Island and from Siraan Hot Spring to Nogas Island who attended the training.
There are seven operating boats plying the Anini-y to Nogas Island route while there are nine plying Siraan Hot Spring to Nogas Island. (Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA)
