Maritime
Ferry safety
is shared
responsibility –
MARINA
Engr. Marc Anthony
Pascua of the MARINA
region VII
Credits : Maritime Industry Authority
T
he Maritime Industry Authority
(MARINA) stressed that the safety of
domestic passenger ferries is a ‘shared
responsibility’ among public and
private sectors that are involved in
the formulation, implementation, and
enforcement of rules and regulations on
maritime safety.
At the 2nd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop
on Ferry Safety held in Guangzhou, China on 26-28
November 2018, the MARINA, in collaboration with
the Guandong Maritime Safety Administration (MSA), emphasized
the importance of proactive participation of member countries, ship
operators, shipboard personnel, and classification societies in instilling
understanding and encouraging actions to promote safety on domestic
passenger ferries.
Engr. Marc Anthony Pascua of the MARINA region VII represented the
Philippine maritime industry delegation in welcoming the participants
of this year’s ARF workshop. He encouraged them to share their notable
experiences, best practices, solutions, and lessons learned to achieve the
goal of enhancing the safety of domestic ferries.
“Safety of life at sea is a moral obligation. However, maritime
casualties and incidents involving domestic ferries continue to occur
notwithstanding the initiatives of governments to improve the safety of
domestic ferry operations. I am confident that this workshop will produce
stronger coordination and unified effort toward the enhancement of
capacity building measures on enforcing applicable rules, promoting use
of fit-for-purpose vessels, encouraging safety culture and strengthening
cooperation on ferry safety within the ARF framework," Engr. Pascua said.
In the ARF workshop, Dir. Jose Venancio Vero of the MARINA – Maritime
Safety Service (MARINA – MSS) shared the mechanisms to implement and
enforce ferry safety rules and regulations for the enhancement of design
and construction of ferries, ferry appliances and equipment, as well as
10
human element as source of risk to safe and effective shipping. The said
mechanisms encompass audit-based inspection system, domestic ship
safety standards' development in Philippines and regional cooperation,
and other related new technologies.
The MARINA also tackled its initiatives and best practices on the
enhancement of domestic passenger ferry operations such as capacity
building measures on enforcing applicable rules, promoting use of
fit-for-purpose vessels, encouraging safety culture and strengthening
cooperation on ferry safety within the ARF framework.
For his part, Guangdong MSA Director General Chen Biwu expressed
how ARF has become a major platform for multilateral security dialogues
and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
"ARF is a highly influential platform. Closely related to the people’s
livelihood and property security, the issue of maritime security under this
framework has attracted great attention. I am confident that, through the
joint efforts of all the delegates, this workshop will lead to great ideas on
policy communication, connectivity in infrastructure, trade, finance and
the people in this region" Director General Chen Biwu said.
Finally, the Philippine delegation expressed its appreciation to its fellow
ARF organizers, recognizing how the platform generates initiatives and
best practices from the ASEAN member states and ARF member countries
for the promotion of safe domestic ferry operations.
http://marina.gov.ph/