CITING the impact to the country’s economy, the speaker of the House of Representatives is seeking a review of an 8-year-old policy that suspends maritime travel in areas placed under Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) Number 1, or 36 hours before a weather disturbance occurs.
Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco issued the statement after an online meeting last week with officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).
Velasco said the policy via PCG Memorandum Circular 2-2013 proved counterproductive and detrimental to the country’s shipping and maritime industry as well as the general public.
The PCG MC prescribes the “Guidelines on Movement of Vessels During Heavy Weather,” effectively prohibiting any type of boat, ship or sea vessel from operating and sailing in the point of origin, the intended route and the point of destination once a PSWS 1 is hoisted.
“The PCG circular has resulted in stressful delays, unforeseen cancellations, decreased economic productivity and stalled shipping services,” Velasco said.
PSWS 1 is put in effect and announced by Pagasa when wind speeds ranging from 30 kilometers to 60 kilometers per hour is expected to take place in a given locality within a lead time of 36 hours, although the corresponding weather conditions may not yet be prevailing over that particular area.
The 36-hour lead time was originally intended for inland storm preparations involving residences, farms and land trips, among others.
The lawmaker said he wants the existing guidelines on sea travel during typhoons reviewed and replaced by a “maritime legal policy that is adoptive, forward thinking and conducive to economic stability.”
The Speaker said the current 36-hour lead time for PSWS 1, during which no vessel is allowed to travel, is “quite long” and leads to serious port congestion and derailment of economic activities.
“We need to find a way to be able to adjust how we determine storm warning signals and protocols in allowing vessels to travel by sea without sacrificing the safety of passengers and seafarers,” Velasco said.
The lawmaker added that the advanced gale warning advisories and other maritime-based forecasting technologies and mechanisms are now available. These, He said, must be considered and maximized in crafting adaptive and economically sustainable guidelines on sea travel, without sacrificing the safety and protection of those in the maritime industry.
Velasco said he asked officials of the PCG, Pagasa and Marina to look into the possibility of having a shorter lead time for storm signals and movement of vessels during bad weather conditions.
The House leader also described the 36-hour lead time as “inefficient” since it causes people and goods stranded in ports for days even if the weather is calm or there is still enough time for them to travel safely.
He said this is mostly the case for people living in islands like in his home province of Marinduque, where inter-island trips can be completed in only an hour or two.
“I take my province as an example. We are used to a scenario where every time Pagasa declares Signal No. 1 in Quezon province, [the] vehicles and Marinduqueños returning home are stuck in seaport, Velasco said. “This doesn’t happen only in Marinduque. This also happens in many parts of the country.”
The Speaker suggested that PAGASA designate affected regions into quadrants, as some regions are affected more than others during a storm signal warning.
Areas that are less affected are often burdened by stranded passengers and goods congested in their respective ports, he added.
Velasco said that using a more targeted approach in hoisting PSWS 1, specifying which area of a particular province or region should be placed under this advisory, can help prevent unnecessary delays in port activities without sacrificing the safety of travelers and seafarers.