Marina to implement NSM for local ships

Only one out of five vessels in the domestic trade is classed leaving the safety of the majority of the ships liable to cloud of suspicions once they negotiate the rough seas.

But the Marina says it hopes to foster a new dimension of maritime safety culture for inter-island vessels with its adoption and implementation of the National Safety Management (NSM) Standard.

As these "unclassed" vessels have not been covered by the International Safety Management Code (ISM), Marina has pinned its hope on the implementation of NSM, according to the shipping body's accomplishment report for last year.

It said its desire to upgrade the overall safety level of domestic ships provided Marina efforts to formulate the NSM standard with the technical assistance of a consultant from the Lloyds Register in London.

Submitted to the International Maritime Organization, the pioneering effort has been commended by IMO secretary general William O'Neil and Admiral Mitropoulous who also made the recommendation as a model in the Asia Pacific region.

Amidst the furor over the sector's safety record, it has considered the existence of a revitalized domestic shipping industry that has taken advantage of a more liberalized environment for the inflow of investments and enhanced competition.

Such an environment gave the year in review accreditation of a total of 327 domestic shipping companies, an increase of 48 per cent from the 221 companies accredited in 1998.

"This is indicative of the acceptance of the improved business climate brought about by the government's policy initiatives," the Marina report says. As a result, the pattern of vessel acquisition showed an increase of 59.3 per cent for importation, while bareboat chartering rose by only three per cent. Shipping services like fast ferries have steadily increased.

As part of strengthening the safety measures, Marina has also started requiring the use of voice tape and the 10-minute film on safety. "High survivability in any maritime accident is dependent on the presence of mind of the passengers, which can be enhanced by their awareness of the safety or emergency procedures of the vessel," according to its accomplishment report.

The voice tape and safety film inform the passengers on the number and location of the lifejackets; number, location and capacity of life rafts; location of emergency exits; demonstration on how to use the lifejackets, rafts and fire extinguishers; Dos and Don'ts during emergency and other precautionary measures.

On the passenger insurance coverage, it has also started to impose last year higher compulsory insurance coverage. After conducting exhaustive public hearings, Marina increased compulsory insurance cover on domestic passenger ships and ferries by 100 per cent from P50,000 to P100,000 to keep the death benefits in step with the current cost of life.