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RANSPORTATION Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista blamed
the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for lack of
“staff work” that led to the pullout of three policies,
which include new rulings on the movement of dangerous
cargo in the country.
Bautista
said Marina failed to coordinate the new policies with
other maritime-related government agencies, leading to
several inconsistencies with the policies of the
Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Philippine
Coast Guard.
In
February, the Marina board decided to pull out three of
its new policies approved earlier in the year meant to
replace the existing procedures being followed by the
Coast Guard.
These
were Marina Circular (MC) 2008-01, or “Rules Governing
the Carriage of Dangerous and/or Hazardous Cargoes in
Package Form for Ships Plying the Domestic Trade”; MC
2008-02, or “Rules to Implement the Master’s Oath of
Safe Voyage” or MOSV; and MC 2008-03, or “Rules and
Regulations to Implement the Code of Safe Practice for
Cargo Storage and Securing in Domestic Shipping.”
“It will
be up to Marina [if they want to be re-approved]. They
lack in work… they did not consult PPA and Coast Guard.
If they do their staff work, and have it lined up for
board approval, we might approve it,” she said.
Marina
officials sought for comment have all declined to give a
statement, but said they will do whatever is possible
for the re-approval of the three.
A Marina
official, on the other hand, said the tragedy of MV
Princess of the Stars, owned by Cebu-based Sulpicio
Lines Inc. could have been prevented or avoided if the
government did not defer the implementation of the three
circulars.
“The
problems being experienced by the government now are
self-inflicted after higher authorities decided to defer
the implementation of the new safety policies,” the
official said.
“The
government should have no problem whatsoever with regard
to the sinking of the Princess of the Stars had it
prioritized safety over the desire of some parties over
the additional safety practices,” he added.
Under MC
2008-01, the transport of dangerous and hazardous
cargoes in package form shall be covered by a dangerous
cargo manifest, which should also be reflected in the
MOSV. It also provided for proper identification,
packaging, marking, labeling, stowage and transfer of
dangerous/hazardous cargo and training of personnel
involved in the cargo operation of such cargo, as well
as the requirement to ensure that equipment are readily
available to address accidents involving dangerous
goods.
The
circular also put full responsibility on the company in
the event of an “abandon ship” incident involving
dangerous cargoes, or in the event of a report from such
a ship being incomplete or unobtainable. |
