The government is being asked to waive shipping fees for cargos containing relief goods intended for calamity victims.
Sen. Ramon Revilla confirmed over the weekend he has filed the enabling legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 1560, intended to “ensure adequate and immediate delivery of relief goods to calamity-stricken areas.”
Revilla’s SB 1560, once enacted into law, will lift shipping fees of transport service providers engaged in relief operations.
To be known as the Relief Goods Free Transportation Act once passed into law, SB 1560 provides “free freight services of relief goods to areas declared in a state of calamity by the President or the local government unit [LGU] concerned.”
In filing the enabling remedial legislation, Revilla observed that “more often than not, the transport of these goods, despite humanitarian reasons, entails a huge cost.”
Citing the archipelagic nature of the country contributes to the difficulty in transporting relief goods, Revilla said the remedial legislation intends to facilitate relief assistance to communities heavily affected by disaster.
Noting the role played by private individuals and companies and nongovernment organizations in relief operations, the senator acknowledged that “often, the State is not alone in this endeavor.”
Revilla added: “During these trying times, our citizens are the most affected. Thus, it is imperative to ensure that adequate relief assistance is given to individuals and communities heavily affected by the disaster.”
The Revilla bill provides that the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), in coordination with the Philippine Postal Corporation (PPC) and all freight companies, common carriers, private carriers, freight forwarders and other companies providing logistic services are mandated to transport relief goods and donated articles free of charge.
Moreover, common carriers, freight forwarders and other similar entities are also mandated to deliver goods and services for free in areas where they operate, Revilla said, adding the bill further provides that “if the area is inaccessible, the relief goods shall be sent or delivered to the nearest LGU and consigned to the concerned local chief executive.”
It further provides that certain shipping auxiliary cost, such as those for arrastre services, pilotage, and other port charges that are routinely passed on to customers, shall be borne by the concerned arrastre, pilotage, and port authorities.
“Provided, however, that container van costs, turnaround time and volume of cargo entitled to the free freight charges shall be considered in order to minimize the loss of profits of the private sector,” the bill added.