DESPITE the shipping industry’s appeal to relax sailing rules in stormy weather, Philippine Coast Guard submitted its proposed guidelines to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for review and final approval.

Coast Guard commandant Wilfredo Tamayo said the fate of the guidelines is now in the hands of DOTC. The Coast Guard is seeking a total sailing ban, except for ships headed for shelter, when a typhoon signal is hoisted.

“We will just follow it up and we will give updates [to the public],” Tamayo said.

The guidelines, spearheaded by Coast Guard after it came under fire for allowing MV Princess of the Stars to set sail at the height of Typhoon Frank in June, bans vessels below 1,000 gross tons from sailing if signal No. 1 is raised anywhere along its declared route. Vessels are not allowed to set sail except those seeking shelter when signal No. 2 is up.

Philippine Liner Shipping Association (PLSA) earlier asked the government to publish the guidelines as soon as possible to avoid confusion among its members companies.

An association official said that during recent typhoons that passed through the country early this month, Coast Guard disallowed a vessel of Lorenzo Shipping Corp. to weigh anchor even if its route does not cross paths with the typhoon.

The longer it takes to make final and approve the guidelines, the larger shipping lines will incur overhead expenses since they do not know whether or not to load cargo during stormy weather. An association official said that is because they would have to pay shippers a commitment fee.

The PLSA said its members are not amenable with the Coast Guard’s proposal, but the association wants the guidelines published in final form so could act accordingly in stormy weather.

The group earlier said that only vessels below 1,000 gross tons should be barred from sailing when storm signal No. 1 is, and ships below 2,000 gross tons during signal No. 2, with total sailing ban—regardless of ship size—imposed during signal No. 3.

The Coast Guard came up with the guidelines in response to the sinking of MV Princess of the Stars on June 21 off Sibuyan Island in Romblon. The vessel, which had more than 800 people onboard and about 200 tons of cargo, set sail while storm signal No.1 was hoisted over Metro Manila.

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