Marina to deputize other agencies to man areas without PCG personnel

Five days after a motorized banca capsized off Cagayan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is planning to tap other concerned government agencies to help man 200 areas where there are no Coast Guard personnel.

At least 47 drowned when rough seas overturned the M/B Maejan on its way to Aparri from Calayan town last Dec. 14.

Search and retrieval efforts for the remaining six passengers of the boat stretched up to the Ilocos-Cagayan shores despite hopes that they are still alive.

PCG commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) officials would meet early next week before they go on a holiday break to formally ask the help of other agencies in monitoring seaports.

Marina, headed by Transportation Undersecretary Ma. Elena Bautista, is expected to call an emergency meeting wherein a memorandum circular would be issued, Tamayo said.

Agencies to be deputized include the Philippine National Police Maritime Group, Philippine Navy, and concerned local government units.

“This is a welcome development. This is favorable to the PCG. I always go for maximum assistance, especially now that the PCG is still developing its ideal manpower of 25,000 personnel. This is better than not monitoring the violations being committed by colorum (out-of-line) vessels,” Tamayo said.

He stressed the importance of cooperation by local governments to inspect vessels’ passenger capacity and safety devices like life jackets before these are allowed to sail.

He also urged local governments to “jump-start” improvements in the shipping industry by developing local ports.

Better safety equipment is also needed for vessels plying the Calayan-Aparri route since they traverse along or near the South China Sea, Pacific Ocean, and the Cagayan sea.

Marina issued a cease-and-desist order on all passenger vessels plying the route until such time it has reviewed their certificates of public convenience.

For the meantime, the PCG would use one of its search and rescue vessels to provide “public service” and ferry passengers to and from Calayan Island to Aparri town in Cagayan.

Capt. Athelo Ibanez, PCG National Capital Region and Central Luzon (NCR-CL) district commander, said that based on Bautista’s order, the PCG would provide sea transportation in the area until the first week of January.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) assured each family of the dead victims a P200,000 assistance.

Earlier, the Cagayan provincial government, led by Gov. Alvaro Antonio, ordered the release of an initial P1 million for assistance to the victims’ families.

Undersecretary Bautista, who hails from Cagayan, said they would look seriously into the cause of the tragedy to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The DOTC’s Special Board of Marine Inquiry already started its 15-day investigation on the incident, summoning the boat captain, Albert Tan, for allegedly allowing the vessel to sail despite being reportedly overloaded.

Aimee Arellano, who happened to be the owner of the ill-fated craft, and her daughter were among the fatalities in the tragedy, the worst to hit Northern Luzon seas in recent years.

Based on its registration, the Coast Guard said, the boat was allowed to ferry a maximum of 50 people, including its crew. But police said 98 were on board when the boat left port. – Evelyn Macairan, Charlie Lagasca