- The Philippine Coast Guard warned the public to avoid “colorum” sea transport vessels
- Rear Admiral Melad said that unregistered boats do not comply with safety standards
- The two-star flag officer added that “colorum” vessels do not have insurance coverages for passengers
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has issued a warning to the general public to avoid “colorum” sea transport vessels, which could be sailing and ferrying passengers to popular tourist destinations this Holy Week.
In an article published by GMA News Online on March 20, it was disclosed that Rear Admiral William Melad, commandant of the PCG, said that unregistered boats lack the necessary documentary requirements, and thus, do not comply with the safety standards set by the government.
“Safety of the public is our primary concern, that’s why we are very serious in monitoring and apprehending these colorum vessels. First and foremost, they don’t have insurance coverages for their passengers unlike properly documented vessels. Most of them do not have life vests other life saving devices,” Melad said.
According to the two-star flag officer, several vessel owners take advantage of the huge volume of passengers who visit popular travel spots during the week as classes and work in both the public and private sector are suspended in line with religious festivities.
For the same reason, registered shipping companies are also having a hard time to accommodate the throngs of passengers who head to seaports for their vacations.
The public is hereby asked to report unregistered sea vessels to the PCG through the Coast Guard Action Center (CGAC) by calling the 24/7 hotlines at 0917-PCG-DOTC (0917-724-3682) for Globe subscribers and 0918-803-8353 for Smart subscribers, or by visiting the PCG website at www.coastguard.gov.ph.
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