HOW MANY MORE LIVES HAVE TO BE LOST?

The Philippine Star
06/08/09

With the onset of strong monsoon rains, tropical storms and typhoons, it is perhaps timely to remind our maritime officials to exert additional effort to make sure adequate measures are in place to avoid accidents that are both costly and life-threatening.

The need is even more urgent in the face of changing weather patterns that are becoming less predictable, and which have become even fiercer, and therefore more life-threatening.

Last month, a ferry was reported to have sunk off the coast of Mindoro , claiming the lives of 12 persons and imperiling 57 others. Apparently, the boat’s hull had cracked after successively being hit by large waves, causing the vessel to sink.

This tragic incident was made all the more ironic because it happened under normal conditions, i.e., there was no storm. While there are findings that the sea vessel, M/V Commander 6, had left port with more than its allowable number of passengers, it also reflected the poor quality of its maintenance and perhaps inherent design.

As an archipelago made up of hundreds of big islands, the Philippines needs strong laws that will not only provide iron-clad guidance in the conduct of inter-island passenger and cargo ferries, but also ensure strict compliance to safety, maintenance and operating standards.

Wooden hull disasters

As in the case of M/V Commander 6, there are hundreds of these wooden-hulled sea-plying vessels in operation today that ferry people and goods from smaller islands that are not serviced by bigger boats owned by larger shipping firms.

Last year, government figures showed that a large number of wooden-hulled motorized bancas had capsized even when there had not been any storm signal, and in the process killing hundreds of people.

While the government has required boat operators to issue life vests to all passengers and crewmembers even for these small boats while traveling at sea, these do not provide ample protection for the passengers when there are strong killer waves. Some of the life vests being used also do not meet safety standards and specifications.

Accredited shipyards

Recently, the Maritime Industry Authority declared it would set stricter rules and standards on the use of wooden-hulled bancas including its outriggers by coming up with a standard design.

According to MARINA, retiring these small vessels are not currently an option since they form an integral part in small island inter-travel which majority of low-income islanders use, and are also a staple in the tourism industry serving both local and foreign visitors who go for inter-island snorkeling, diving and swimming adventures.

MARINA had approved last March a circular calling for the accreditation of shipyards that would conduct repairs and maintenance work in accordance with an approved process governed by internationally recognized design standards.

On the other hand, the Shipyards Regulation Office under MARINA is now studying the process of approving the design of the boats, including the possibility of procuring software from the International Maritime Organization.

In view of the deteriorating weather conditions and to avoid further losses in property and lives because of these poorly built wooden hulled vessels, MARINA should perhaps consider more areas where these accredited shipyards would be located.

Currently, MARINA has pinpointed only Subic , Bohol and Malita in Davao del Sur as priority areas to be declared as economic zones that could be registered with the Board of Investments and recognized by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority for incentives.

If the objective is to bring all the operating small boats and outriggers up to seaworthiness standards, then bringing more accredited shipyards nearer to the centers of inter-island vessel operations is an absolute necessity to speed up the process.

Utmost negligence

While attention is being given to improving the integrity of wooden-hulled boats, the MARINA including the Philippine Coast Guard must not relax its attention on policing bigger sea-faring vessels that have been the cause of more recent major sea disasters.

How can we forget such record-breaking accidents as M/V Dona Paz which in 1987 had collided with M/V Vector, killing more than 4,000 people and elevating the incident in the book of the world’s worst maritime disasters.

How can we forgive shipping companies that continue to be remiss in their responsibility of making sure that their vessels are manned by competent personnel and have working equipment that can help its crew in keeping the voyage safe?

Regulatory challenge

Regulation of the maritime sector continues to be a major challenge. Characterized by inadequate and fragmented laws, the regulatory framework is beset by a lack of cohesion among the various agencies that have regulatory functions over the whole industry.

This was most evident in the last major maritime disaster involving M/V Princess of the Stars which capsized during a big storm. In the ensuing investigations, the issue of culpability underscored the inherent regulatory weakness where negligent individuals and parties were not brought to justice.

That is not to say though that the deregulation of the shipping industry in the last two decades have not brought about better changes. In the mid-1990s, fast crafts with cruise speeds of about 32 to 35 knots have cut travel between islands by more than half bringing ease of travel for students, tourists and those in business.

But these examples of bit and pieces of improvements in the maritime industry pale in comparison to the vulnerability that thousands of sea travelers face resulting from the failure of regulating agencies such as the MARINA and the Coast Guard to ensure implementation of even basic safety standards. Overloading, for instance, is ignored for a few pieces of silver.

How many more deaths will we witness before all this negligence is put to an end?

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, SalcedoVillage, 1227 MakatiCity. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.