CEBU CITY—The Philippine Coastwise Shipping
Association, Inc (PCSA) held an extensive meeting with the MARINA board in Cebu
on January 27 at Radisson Blu Hotel to discuss and address challenges in the
shipping industry.
“This is a historic meeting with the MARINA
Board, for the first time that the meeting is held in Cebu, attended by various
government agencies and a private sector representative to discuss issues
affecting the shipping industry, and the aftermath of the sinking and the
suspension of the Alesson shipping company,” PCSA Chairman, Lucio Lim told
media in a side interview during the event.
Lim bared that the main issue discussed include
the licensing of crew, which has led to a severe shortage due to stringent
requirements imposed 15 years ago. In a plenary session, some members of PCSA argue
that experience should be valued over formal education for domestic shipping
roles.
They also criticize the imposition of penalties
and suspensions for accidents, noting that 90% of accidents are due to human
error. The meeting aims to advocate for more lenient domestic regulations to
alleviate the crew shortage and reduce the impact of penalties on ship owners,
Lim said.
“PCSA wants to review several memorandum
circulars that the MARINA Board has issued through the years that are related
to fines, penalties, and crew licensing for the shipping industry in the
Philippines. MC-109 for instance was
issued on July 13, 1995 that establishes a comprehensive schedule of
administrative fines and penalties for violations related to vessel
registration, licensing, documentation, and safety regulations. There are more of these MCs that have been
issued, revised and amended. We want to
go through them, review then line by line, if possible so we can prepare
comments or propose changes to suit a win-win solution for the industry,” Lim
told the media.
Department of Transportation (DoTr) Acting
Secretary, Atty. Giovanni Lopez, in his keynote message emphasized the
importance of maritime security and disaster response. He vowed to support the
modernization of the Philippine Coast Guard's assets and personnel, saying,
"The DOTr will support and provide the PCG with the resources and
infrastructure, as well as policy measures needed to fulfill your mission.”
"We have faced both challenges and
opportunities as individual regions, but the call and commitment for a
collective Visayas-wide voice, action, and solidarity remain crucial. We should
work as one,” Cebu governor Pamela Baricuatro said.
Lim bared that the Philippine Coastwise
Shipping Association, Inc. (PCSA) General Membership Meeting focused on
strengthening domestic shipping through government and stakeholder
collaboration.
“PCSA advocates for maritime industry
governance reform, specifically splitting the Maritime Industry Authority
(MARINA) into two entities for international and domestic shipping,” he added
that the shortage of qualified crew members is a significant challenge in the
shipping industry.”
Meanwhile, the Maritime Industry Authority
(MARINA) is proposing stiffer penalties for shipping firms that violate safety
and administrative regulations including fines ranging from P100 to P16,000,
depending on the vessel's Gross Register Tonnage (GRT) for operating vessels
without proper certificates or licenses; False statements or misrepresentations
in applications can lead to P10,000 fines and vessels operating without valid
insurance or passenger manifests face fines of P10,000 to P30,000.
Unauthorized route changes, port abandonment,
or capacity increases can lead to fines of P200 to P2,000 per day and overcapacity
and passenger ticket violations can result in fines of P10,000 to indefinite
suspension. Falsification or tampering
of documents can lead to fines of up to P200,000; Operating without insurance
can result in fines of up to P300,000 and MARINA can also suspend or cancel
licenses for repeated offenses.
These issues on fines and penalties were
extensively discussed at the plenary session during the meeting as well as in
the consultative meeting with the MARINA Board, Lim said that most of these
fines and penalties usually result in money losses for the shipping company.
Lim further said that another crucial challenge
of the shipping industry is the issue of competency mapping, a crucial process
in the maritime industry, ensuring seafarers possess the required skills and
knowledge to perform their duties safely and efficiently.
MARINA introduced competency assessment system
(CAS) that integrates theoretical and practical testing to reflect real-world
maritime operations, ensuring fair accurate and transparent evaluations. However, PCSA argues that experience should
be valued over formal education for domestic shipping roles.
“These issues of crew licensing, strict
requirements over the past 15 years have led to a severe shortage of crew on domestic
shipping. The current licensing rules
are seen as anti-poor, as they require college graduates to be seamen, despite
STCW allowing for flexibility in rules,” Lim said.
Lim added that “experience” is emphasized as a
crucial factor, with domestic shipping allowing individuals with elementary or
high school education to become officers.
There is a need for corrections in the licensing rules to allow for more
crew and address the shortage.
These complications arose from international
conventions which affect domestic shipping regulations. “The need for circular numbers to clarify and
approve the new rules, the impact of these conventions on penalties and fines
for violations is a key concern. There is difficulty in navigating the
complexities of international and domestic shipping regulations,” Lim added.
PCSA hopes that the Marina Board will provide
sufficient time to discuss and address the issues raised, for clearer and
practical solutions to the licensing and accident management issues of the
domestic shipping industry, Lim concluded. (Photos: MBCNewman)
