Marina: Snap-on lifejackets required on ships by Jan. 1

With the entry of the New Year, maritime authorities expect seagoing vessels to be equipped with new snap-on lifejackets to prevent, or at least minimize loss of lives in maritime disasters. Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) chief Maria Elena Bautista said that by January 1, these new lifejackets should replace the old lifejackets that require complicated procedures. “International conventions require that lifejackets be easy to wear, with less thinking required. The vest should be snap-on at the front. The present lifejackets require so many maneuvers just to be worn securely," she said in an interview on dzBB radio. The new lifejackets must have the Marina’s logo, as well as the date of approval for easier monitoring and inspection by authorities, she added. Lifejackets to be used in vessels that ply nighttime routes must also be equipped with emergency whistles and flashlights. Bautista said she already ordered a review of the lifejackets used in sea vessels as early as 2008, when she was still Transportation Undersecretary. “Kasama yan sa pinare-review ko mula nung tumaob ang Princess of the Stars, para by January 1 ganoon na dapat ang sistema (I ordered a review of the lifejackets when the MV Princess of the Stars capsized in June 2008, so by January 1 our system would be safer)," she said. Starting January 1, we will require that the lifejackets be of the snap-on type, instead of having so many strings and laces," she added. - LGB, GMANews.TV