By GENIVI FACTAO
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina)
wanted a shift from general description to specific description,
especially on dangerous cargoes loaded to the domestic ships.
All freight forwarders are required to make a
full declaration of cargoes to prevent the similar incident of
loading endosulfan using the generic description.
Marina will strictly enforce the penalty
including fines to vessel operator. It will also cancel the
accreditation of freight forwarders violating the policy, when
the transfer of the supervision and regulation to Marina of
local and international freight forwarders is approved by the
Office of the President.
The sea tragedy led the government to
immediately implement the International Maritime Dangerous Goods
(IMDG) Code or the manual on the carriage of dangerous cargo
onboard international going vessels.
The policy, which was earlier introduced by
former Marina administrator Vicente Suazo Jr., was shelved by
the Marina Board in February this year.
Maritime affairs undersecretary and Marina
administrator Ma. Elena Bautista said they will fully implement
the IMDG Code to the local industry to implement internationally
accepted procedures in handling dangerous and hazardous cargoes
onboard the local fleet.
Under Marina Circular No. 2008-01, the
transport of dangerous and/or hazardous cargoes in package form
shall be covered by a Dangerous Cargo Manifest (DCM), which
should also be reflected in the Master’s Oath of Safe Voyage (MOSV).
It provides for the proper identification,
packaging, marking, labeling, stowage and transfer of the
dangerous/hazardous cargo and training of personnel involved in
the cargo operation of such cargo as well as ensure that
equipment are readily available to address accidents involving
dangerous goods.
The circular also put full responsibility to
the company in the event of a ship, abandoned due to an
incident/accident involving dangerous cargoes, or in the event
of a report from such a ship being incomplete or unobtainable.
Bautista said the change in the declaration
system of cargoes onboard will make it easier to adopt proper
measures in case of accident.
In the case of Princess of the Stars, the
responsibility of the full declaration of cargoes could not be
determined.
"We are changing the system. We want the
declaration of cargoes shifted from general description to
specific description. The freight forwarders should help and be
more responsible in the declaration of cargoes instead of going
around the rules in exchange for more profit margins," she said.
