http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080703-146262/Coast-Guards-new-shipping-rules-during-storms-to-face-test
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Coast Guard’s new, more stringent guidelines for ships sailing in storms might be tested soon if the prevailing tropical depression turns into a typhoon.
The new guidelines prohibit any vessel from leaving port when Storm Signal No. 1 is raised at its port of origin, along its route or at its port of destination.
The interim rules were issued after the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars off Sibuyan Island in Romblon at the height of Typhoon "Frank" (international codename: Fengshen) recently while the ship was en route to Cebu with over 800 passengers and crew on board on June 21.
"If a signal is raised, it would be the first time the guidelines would be tested," said PCG spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo on Thursday.
The guidelines require vessels already at sea to seek immediate shelter when Signal No. 1 is raised in its immediate vicinity, along its intended route or destination.
Vessels would only be allowed to leave a port to seek shelter elsewhere without their passengers and cargo.
"Responsibility and discretion on how to seek shelter and ensure the safety of the ship is left to the ship owner and master of the vessel," the PCG said.
Ship owners contested the new rules, claiming passengers would be stranded, income would be lost and businesses disrupted if they were implemented.
Instead, the Philippine Interisland Shipping Association proposed that guidelines be modified to leave it to the owners' discretion to allow their vessels to sail under Signal No. 1 at the port of origin, along the route or destination, and if the probability of the storm signal being raised further were nil.
PISA also proposed that the old guidelines be changed so that vessels which are 2,000 gross tons and below would be allowed to take shelter during signal number 2 even if it had cargo, but with no passengers.
According to the group, 16 to 20 typhoons hit the country in a year, and each could stay here for three to five days. This could then translate to 50, to possibly 100, days without any ship leaving port.
It also pointed out that in a year, the shipping industry has been transporting about 47 million passengers and moving 73 million metric tons of cargo.
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7 comments:
Because of what happend to the shipping boat of Sulpicio Lines, new shipping rules were made. They are to be tested soon, if the prevailing tropical depression turns into a typhoon.This was a good plan, since it will be able to guide the shippers, whether to send out their ship to sea or not. On the other hand, these rules should have been made a lot earlier, because it would have saved more lives and our natural resources would have been less damaged.
I guess it's only natural that these new shipping rules will be implemented. This only happens when something bad happens (that's the way I see it). But just wait for a few months to a year then they would eventually forget these rules and return to their "normal rules".
In my opinion, the change of rules was too late. They should have had those rules beforehand. If they had those rules from the beginning, then they could have save lives and possibly the incident that had just happened would have been prevented. They should not wait for unfortunate events like this before they implement rules on safety. They should think ahead.
Well, the change of rules wouldn't even exist if nothig bad happened.
Tama lang magkaroon ng pagbabago kasi para magkaroon ng "prevention" sa mga epekto ng mga kalamidad diba? Pero isipin ninyo na nagkakaroon lang ng pagbabago kung may nangyari ng masama, dapat binago na nila dati pa kaysa maghintay na may masama mangyari!
it is a good rule but it is too late as they should have done it many years ago.
Halos isang libo ang namatay sa lumubog na MV Princess of the the Stars sa may lalawigan ng Sibuyan noong kasagsagan ng bagyong Frank. Halos tumigil ang buong PIlipinas sa pagkagimbal sa balitang ito – lahat tumutok, lahat natakot. Ika nga, ang nasabing trahedya ang ikaapat na insidenteng nasangkot ang pangalan ng Sulpicio lines. Ito rin, ayon sa mga balita, ang isa sa pinakamaraming casualties. Kung gayon, ang paglubog ng nasabing barko ay hindi isang bagay na dapat lang baliwalain; dapat itong aksyunan.
Ito marahil ang dahilan kung bakit nagpalabas ang Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) ng mga bagong alituntunin ukol sa paglalayag ng mga barko tuwing may bagyo. Madaling sabihin na napakaganda ng kilos na ginawang ito ng Coast Guard. Subalit, hindi ko mapigilang itanong ang tanong na ito: Bakit ngayon lang nila naisipan iyan? Bakit kinailangan pang halos isang libong buhay ang maisakripisyo bago tuluyan baguhin ang mga alituntunin? Naiisip ko tuloy, ginawa lang ng PCG ang nasabing mga alituntuning para hindi madamay sa isyung ito. Malamang lang kasi, sa kanila rin (maliban sa mga may-ari ng MV Princess of the Stars) sinisisi ang paglubog ng nasabing barko noong Hunyo 27. Tila ayaw nang umako ng responsibilidad ng PCG sa mga trahedyang maaaring mangyari sa hinaharap. Mapapansin kasing tila tugon ang mga bagong alituntunin sa mga pagkakamaling nagawa noong lumubog ang Princess of the Stars. Isa-isahin natin ang mga nasabing alituntunin.
Una, nakataas ang storm signal number 1 nang maglayag ang MV Princess of the Stars at nang lumubog ito sa Romblon. BIlang tugon dito, ginawa ng PCG ang alituntuning makikita sa linyang ito: “The new guidelines prohibit any vessel from leaving port when Storm Signal No. 1 is raised at its port of origin, along its route or at its port of destination.” Hindi ba dapat noon pa man ay hindi na hinahayaang maglayag kapag nakataas ang signal number 1 sa mismong terminal ng barko?
Ikalawa, binanggit sa mga balita ukol sa trahedyang ito na wala sa plano ng MV Princess of the Stars na dumaong sa malapit na daungan kaya naman sumadsad ito sa bato at nabutas ang ilalim nang subukan ng kapitang idaong ito. Bilang tugon ditto, ipinatupad tuloy ng PCG ang alituntuning makikita sa linyang ito: “The guidelines require vessels already at sea to seek immediate shelter when Signal No. 1 is raised in its immediate vicinity, along its intended route or destination. Vessels would only be allowed to leave a port to seek shelter elsewhere without their passengers and cargo.” Muli, hindi ba dapat noon pa man ay inuutusan na ang mga barkong dumaong tuwing malakas ang bagyo?
At huli, kitang kita sa binanggit napahayag na ito ang paghuhugas kamay ng PCG sa anumang sakunang kasasangkutan ng mga barko: "Responsibility and discretion on how to seek shelter and ensure the safety of the ship is left to the ship owner and master of the vessel." Bakit kailangan pang hayaang ang mga may-ari ng mga barko ang magdesisyon? Hindi ba pwedeng maging strikto sa mga alituntuning ipinapatupad para naman walang napapahamak?
Hindi nakapagtatakang umanagal ang mga may-ari ng mga barko sa nasabing mga bagong alituntunin. Kung halos 100 araw ka nga namang hindi maglalayag nang dahil lang sa mga bagyo, siguradong wala kang kikitain at baka magsara pa ang kumpanya mo. Ngunit, sa puntong ito, mahalagang isaisip na hindi kalian man magagawang tumbasan ng pera ang buhay ng isang tao. Maaari mang bayaran ng gobyerno at ng mga may-ari ng barko ang pagpapalibing o pagpapagamot sa mga biktima, hindi kailanman matutumbasan ng pera ang buhay na mawawala at ang trauma na maaaring maranasan ng mga biktima. Totoo, maaaring sabihin ng mga may-ari ng mga barko na dapat hayaang maglayag ang barko basta ba walang mga pasaherong tao. Pero tao rin naman ang mga nagpapatakbo ng mga barko, di ba? Oo nga, cargo lang ang laman ng barko. Pero tao rin ang nagpapatakbo dito. Kaya kung may mangyaring sakuna na naman, may mamamatay pa ring tao. Samakatuwid, may pasahero man o wala, delikado pa ring maglayag ang isang barko kapag may bagyo. Sana lang, gawin ng PCG ang kanilang tungkulin at siguruhing walang mapapahamak sa tuwing may bagyo. Hindi nila maaaring talikuran ang tungkuling ito sapagkat ito ang responsibilidad nila bilang mga miyembro ng nasabing institusyon. Sila ang dapat umaksyon. Hindi sapat na magpalabas at magpatupad lang ng bagong mga alituntunin.
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