PH shipping lines start using safe transit corridor

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Philippine domestic shipping lines welcomed the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) implementation of a recommended transit corridor (RTC) in Moro Gulf and Basilan Strait.

The safe passage in Mindanao has been created in response to rising piracy and kidnapping incidents involving ships navigating these areas.

Philippine Inter-island Shipping Association (PISA) executive director Atty. Pedro Aguilar told PortCalls that domestic shipping lines have been reporting to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of their entry in the transit corridor ahead of the effectivity of the memo related to the RTC.

This was the agreement made during a roundtable discussion last April between PISA and PCG prior to the issuance of Department Memorandum Circular (DMC) No. 2017-02, which takes effect on June 2.

READ: Moro Gulf, Basilan Strait transit corridor created to combat piracy

Since January, PISA has been having discussions with PCG regarding security in Moro Gulf and Basilan Strait following the attempted attack by pirates on MV Ocean Kingdom, owned by PISA member-company Oceanic Container Lines, Inc.

Except for maritime law enforcement vessels, DMC No. 2017-02 covers all domestic vessels transiting Moro Gulf and Basilan Strait, including fishing boats, sailing vessels, and motorized bancas, Aguilar said.

Under DMC No. 2017-02, the recommended transit corridor aims to “provide the PCG and other law enforcement units awareness over the operating environment in and around areas of Moro Gulf and Basilan Strait by designating transit areas where vessels can be easily monitored and law enforcement units are deployed nearby.”

Not a traffic separation scheme

DOTr noted, however, that the RTC is not a traffic separation scheme, nor is it marked with navigational aids, and said that vessels are to comply at all times with the requirements of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

Moreover, vessels navigating the RTC should notify the PCG through radio communication at least six hours before entering the corridor. They should also switch on their Automatic Identification System to facilitate monitoring, and stay in the appropriate transit lane only.

Vessels should also report all observed suspicious activities to the authorities and to other vessels transiting the area.

Protocols during emergencies in the RTC are listed in the memo circular, as are the responsibilities of the master of the vessel, ship owner, and government agencies.

Aside from DMC No. 2017-02, the DOTr also issued DMC No. 2017-03 prescribing the required radio communication equipment on board all Philippine-registered vessels to enhance safety of life and property at sea.

DMC No. 2017-04, meanwhile, prescribes the list of designated channels for VHF marine band radio to be used by Philippine-registered vessels to enhance maritime communication security and safety.

DOTr Undersecretary for Maritime Felipe Judan earlier told PortCalls they are preparing more measures for a comprehensive maritime security plan to keep vessels safe at sea.

The International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) annual piracy report of 2016 advised charterers and owners of vessel to avoid Sulu Sea by using routes west of Kalimantan. IMB said kidnappings in Sulu Sea between eastern Malaysia and the Philippines are a particular concern.

The IMB report said the kidnapping of crews of merchant vessels in Sulu Sea and their transfer to the southern Philippines represents a notable escalation in attacks. – Roumina Pablo