Coast Guard warns summer tourists vs. unregistered sea vessels

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday warned tourists, who are expected to flock to summer destinations in the country, to avoid traveling on unregistered sea vessels because they are “unsafe." Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Commander Arman Balilo advised the public not to patronize these “colorum" watercraft since they did not pass rigid inspection of authorities. “They have no life jackets and have no safety equipment on board," he said. Summer tourists should coordinate with Coast Guard personnel and check if the sea vessel they are riding has life jackets and other safety equipment to ensure that the vessel is properly registered, Balilo added. “To be certain that the vessel is not colorum, the passengers should ask a PCG personnel or officer. They should also look around the ship to see if there are life jackets on board," he said. According to Balilo, unregistered sea vessels usually sail through inter-island routes including the Batangas-Oriental Mindoro route, usually taken by tourists bound for Puerto Galera, a popular summer destination. Other illegal sea vessels also offer trips around Manila Bay, he added. Balilo likewise urged the public to report immediately “colorum" sea vessels to the Coast Guard. Two sea vessels sank in Philippine seas late last year. The motor banca Catalyn B collided with a fishing boat off Cavite province on Christmas Eve last year, killing 25 passengers. (See: 3 bodies retrieved, 24 remain missing in Cavite sea mishap) Three days later, on December 27, the roll-on, roll-off (RORO) vessel M/V Baleno 9, meanwhile, sank off Verde Island in Batangas province. At least six people were confirmed dead, while 44 other remain missing due to the sea tragedy. (See: 6 dead, 20 missing as ferry sinks off island in Batangas)—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV