PCG reiterates sea travel guidelines as typhoon season starts

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday reiterated its guidelines against sea accidents following the announcement from state weather forecasters that the rainy season has just started. Under the guidelines, vessels that are 1,000 gross tons and below are prohibited from sailing in either of the vessel’s origin or route or destination when public storm Signal No. 1 is up. At Signal No. 2, all vessels, regardless of size, are banned from sailing. "In both cases, vessels shall only be allowed to leave the port for the purpose of taking shelter from the storm and of which no passenger will be carried while taking shelter," the circular, dated February 20, 2009, read. The guidelines were jointly crafted by the PCG and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in close collaboration with the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). PCG chierf Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said the memorandum covers all ships and watercrafts operating within the territorial jurisdiction of the country. He urged the public, particularly those in water transportation sector, to familiarize themselves with the regulation to avoid any untoward incidents. He also called on passengers to plan ahead trips to avoid being stranded in places where Roll on Roll off (ro-ro) vessels and boats have to cancel trips amid the occurrence of typhoon. Other guidelines included in the circular were the obligations of the ship owner and captain. The circular noted that it is the captain's responsibility “to immediately take shelter and not to proceed to his voyage, when while underway his vessel is caught in a storm signal area where the vessel is not allowed to sail." “It is the responsibility of the master of the vessel to maintain communication with the other or nearby ships, ship owners and the PCG with radio/ communication checks being conducted at least every 30 minutes for faster exchange of information and close monitoring of the condition of vessels," it said. It also said that cargo watches would be posted to ensure the safety of shipments throughout the entire duration of the voyage of the vessel in heavy weather. Pagasa, for its part, would publish friendly representation of typhoon signal areas that would indicate the no sailing zones in its regular weather bulletins for easier reference by the shipping sector. - GMANews.TV