Arroyo suspends Marina memos

CEBU, Philippines - President Arroyo yesterday ordered the Department of Transportation and Communication to suspend all controversial memorandum circulars on safety standards issued by the Maritime Industry Authority, a DOTC attached agency, after a brief meeting with complaining shipowners.

The meeting took place while they were on their way to Bohol on board the SuperCat 12 of the Aboitiz Transport System.

Marina administrator Elena Bautista confirmed to The FREEMAN that Arroyo gave her the order to suspend the memorandum circulars through Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza pending continued dialogue with the shipowners.

Shipowners have been questioning the circular, threatening to lodge a maritime holiday as protest.

They also wanted the president to relieve Bautista. But Arroyo, during the meeting, said she cannot relieve Bautista from her post.

Bautista said that the DOTC will be creating a technical working group that would include the shipowners so there will be an open communication among involved parties.

Bautista said she hopes that with the suspension of the memorandum circular, shipowners will push through with the maritime holiday.

But Visayan Association of Ferryboat and Coastwise Service Operators (VAFCSO) legal counsel Dexter Viñan said that while the dialogue is continuing, there is no definite cancellation to their plan to hold the maritime holiday on March 1.

“There will be continued dialogue with the government agencies so that issues and regulations found to be deficient and disadvantageous to the maritime industry shall be jointly reviewed and rectified as appropriate,” he said.

Jose Emery Roble, the president and chief operations officer of Roble Shipping Lines and a member of VAFCSO board, said that during the meeting, the president explained to them that she cannot take Bautista out of Marina because she has “a fixed term.”

Bautista is reported to be taking a leave from her work soon to get married and shipping operators said they wished her “happiness and good fortune.”

As for its part, the business sector hailed the suspension of the circular.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Samuel Chioson said that the suspension was a good move.

He said Marina and the shipowners should come up with a win-win solution for the sake of the industry and the safety of passengers.

VAFCSO earlier threatened to launch protest actions by holding a strike to protest the Marina move to push for higher safety standards for shipping operators.

Among the memorandum circulars opposed by shipping operators include the implementation of protection and indemnity cover as stated in Republic Act 9295; greater accessibility of life jackets to passengers on inter-island ships; higher qualifications on crew competency; and increase in fines and penalties for those who violate Marina’s rules and regulations in the promotion of safety of life and properties at sea.

Bautista had said the shipping operators have been opposing the standards because they are only after their profits.

She claimed that they even resorted to what she called “malicious disinformation.”

She said that the operators’ claim that the life vests that Marina wanted them to buy are very expensive is not true, adding that there are good quality life vests that are not expensive. — /LPM (THE FREEMAN)