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US-based
Titan Salvage, the company contracted by Sulpicio Lines
Inc. to refloat the sunken ferry MV Princess of the
Stars, will prioritize the recovery of the toxic
chemicals and other cargo still in the vessel and will
need at least two months for the operation.
In a
briefing on Wednesday, Transportation Undersecretary
Maria Elena Bautista said that underwriter Oriental
Assurance Corp. and Sulpicio will spend $8.9 million
(about P400.5 million) for the operation.
Bautista
said that they have shifted priorities from refloating
the entire 23,824-gross registered ton-vessel, to focus
on the cargoes still inside, including the toxic
chemical endosulfan and some 250,000 liters of crude oil
in the vessel’s bowels.
“The
government will not shell out a single centavo for the
operation…the cost will be shouldered by both the
underwriter and the shipping line,” she said at the
sidelines of a workshop on the sinking of the ferry.
“The
decision to refloat the ferry later on will be the
underwriter’s.”
Bautista
said that the salvor only asked for some government
assistance from the Bureau of Customs since it would
bring in equipment and also work permit for some 20
foreigners that will work on the operation from the
immigration bureau.
“They
have sent us all their [salvor] requirements, including
visa, and we have approved it because we think that we
can approve it right away,” she said, adding all the
details of salvaging operations will have to be ironed
out within the week and will be announced by Friday.
On
Wednesday, stakeholders from the government and the
private sector met for a workshop in order to come out
with an action plan on what should be done in order to
avoid a sea tragedy such as the sinking of Princess.
By end
of the week, the group will sign a manifesto and its
respective commitments on the said measure, Bautista
said. Present at the workshop were representatives from
the International Maritime Organization, government
agencies, liner groups, cargo-handling associations and
surveyors, among others.
She said
that Malacañang has already instructed the
transportation department to include in their plan of
action the crafting of a measure patterned after Hong
Kong laws, which has stricter rules on maritime
procedures in cases of typhoon.
“Their
[Hong Kong] laws are very strict and their Coast Guard
has the power to take over the vessel if the captain
refused to follow orders,” Bautista said.
After
the sinking of the ferry, the Coast Guard has released
an interim policy to ban ship sailing of every type and
weight even when public storm Signal No. 1 is
hoisted.
The
Regional Disaster Coordinating Council was also
instructed by Malacañang to deputize barangay officials
to prevent all fishing boats to sail on times of
typhoons.
Aside
from Princess and other ships that went aground, there
were a number of fishermen who either died or lost on
the onslaught of Typhoon Frank on June 20 and 21. |
