Proposed Emergency Procedures for the Safety

of Seafarers Onboard During the

Pace of Abandonment

A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of Arts
Technological Institute of the Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation

by
Lanozo, Aldrin Paulo D.
Maralit, Christian G.
Mayor, James Patrick F.
Medallion, Kerwin Ed B.
Pangilinan, Adriel B.

October 2015

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Local Literature

According to Aguilar (2005) Passenger traffic was about 45,000,000 along
the different routes of the islands in year 2000. Travel time from port to
port ranges from 10 minutes to more than 2 days. Ferry boats consisting
of small boats to large ships travel mostly from Manila to Visayas and
Mindanao. Most of the routes are within the archipelagic seas where the
waters are relatively calm due to the protection of the many islands.
However, maritime incidents still occurred due to various reasons even
during good weather conditions. Records from 1991 to 2000 show that
most capsizing incidents happened during typhoon occurrences.
Particularly destructive was typhoon Norming in September of 1998 when
82 crafts capsized in the areas of Western Visayas. This is indicative of the
nature of bancas to capsize when the outriggers fail and the stability of
the boat is compromised. Also because of the construction of the boat
where the hull bottom is constructed from a log, the hull is highly buoyant
and does not sink even after capsizing and this may be one of the reasons
why the statistics is skewed towards capsizing. This also indicates that the
motorized banca does not have adequate facilities for shelter or
protection during strong typhoons. While the size of most crafts allow
beaching during typhoons, for those of sizes that cannot be manhandled,

a safe harbor or protected anchorage is a necessity. These small crafts are

quite numerous with around 465,000 counted during the last census in
1985(BAS, 1986). During fishing seasons, it is normal to see beaches full
of outrigger boats in most coastal communities. Larger boats typically
stay at anchorages near fishing grounds for the duration of the season.
For fishing operations, the absence of such protection results in the
transfer of fishing activities to the leeward side or protected side of any
island where they operated. For example, ring netters and purse seiners
operate in the northern part of islands when the southwest monsoon
occurs and operate in the southern parts when the northwest monsoon
blows. From the viewpoint of fisheries management, this may be
advantageous as it allows some replenishment of stocks to occur.
However, during typhoons, safe harbors with adequate sea wall
protection, berths or protected anchorages can prevent damages such as
that in 1998 when 82 crafts capsized in Panay Island including Caticlan
(near Boracay) when the very strong typhoon Norming lashed the islands.
Natural safe harbors exist and are in fact used by the crafts during
typhoons but these are mainly undeveloped without any infrastructure or
port facilities. Ideally, fishing communities with a significant fishing fleet
should have one safe and well protected harbor. Protective structures
include a sea wall capable of keeping out destructive waves and strong
winds, anchorage of sufficient depth, berths for tying boats to and
slipways for hauling or launching boats. Currently, such facilities are

present only in river mouths or enclosed bays or developed and well

established ports. In other areas, boats basically have to fend for their
own and seek protection wherever possible. While several attempts have
been started to establish municipal ports, the results are wholly
inadequate with most efforts content with a single jetty or pier mainly for
the purpose of landing caught fish. Most fishing grounds are near the
coast but an increasing population and finite resources has resulted in
overexploitation and depletion of traditional fishing area. This has resulted
in fishing further from shore requiring bigger and more capable boats to
meet the demand for fish. It is therefore necessary to plan ahead and
determine the necessity of fully protected harbors for fishing fleets at
selected fishing areas.

According to Sigua (2005) The Philippines is the largest contributor to the

crew of the worlds merchant fleet. The facility to communicate in English,
good training and aptitude on board are cited as some of the major
factors in favoring Filipino sailors. This premium or preference for Filipino
crew has also affected the domestic shipping industry where the wages
are considerable lower than the international rates. The brightest and
best products of Philippine maritime schools readily find work abroad,
leaving the domestic fleet with relatively less choices in hiring the better
quality graduates. While the licensing requirements of MARINA are well
established, the discrepancy in wages can only contribute to less capable

manning resources for the domestic fleet. This can only be remedied if
local shipping offer rates competitive to foreign fleets, a concept that may
not really be practical given current economic conditions. One way to
mitigate this condition is constant training requirements and strict
implementation of STCW 95 (Standards for Training Certification and
Watchkeeping) now required by the International Maritime Organization
(IMO) requirements for the worlds fleets. This would ensure proper
training for all crew whether domestic or foreign. The Philippine Merchant
Marine Rules and Regulations (PMMRR) of 1997 adequately cover the
requirements for ship safety and is quite complete in the manning
regulations. However, the fact that some crew-related incidents still occur
draws attention to some of the finer points of implementation. One item
however, that has not changed remarkably, is safety preparedness of
passengers on board. While it is mandatory for airplane passengers to
listen to safety precautions including the donning of life vests and exits,
such briefings are not regularly done on board passenger ships. While the
crew may be trained for accidents at sea, well briefed passengers can
only facilitate and increase overall preparedness for any incident that may
occur. Fire is especially hazardous in larger passenger ships and exit
location briefings, life vest donning procedures and lifeboat assignment
briefings as well as fire drills should be regularly conducted to ensure
appropriate passenger and crew response. Smaller operations however,
including shorter routes between non-major ports are serviced by older

ships including wooden and the larger motorized outrigger boats (57% of
merchant ships are wooden (Marina, 1999)). Several incidents and
disasters including the major capsizing incidents involved crafts of this
category. During the last 5 years remarkable growth was seen in the
routes serviced by fast ferry craft particularly in the Visayas. These fast
ferries have cut travel time by almost half in most of the routes,
presenting quite an impressive improvement in passenger movement
between the shorter passenger routes. However, the potential for disaster
of fast craft is quite obvious with the shorter response time in cases of
collision. For fast craft operations, navigation hazards along the routes
must be well documented. The crew must exercise extra care during the
course of the voyage at all times. Safety is affected in terms of the
availability of naval architects who can do the needed calculations for
stability. Without a significant shipbuilding industry, naval architecture as
a field of study has very few graduates per year (an average of 12 to 15
for the past 10 years from NAMEI). This has implications in the available
technical expertise needed to do the proper calculations for craft stability
and safety. Also, for smaller craft, the absence of any implementation of
classification society rules and regulations has an impact on the final
design which are left mainly to the boatbuilder. Particularly for small to
medium passenger and cargo craft as well as fishing boats from the
medium to small categories (150 to 20.1 and 20 to 3 gross tons),
construction usually comes first before the lines drawing hence the

hydrostatic calculations which are needed for stability calculations are

done after the fact. Most construction of these types is done by
boatbuilders whose skill is based on experience which are handed down
through generations. The more crucial crafts are those that are second
hand and modified for another purpose and those that are newly built
from a copied design. This is where design experience is absent on the
side of the boatbuilder and accurate calculations are needed to ensure
stable and safe platforms. Of particular importance are the larger type
crafts with substantial modifications such as converting a former fishing
boat to a passenger vessel. Strict standards must be enforced from
stability standards up to structural specifications to ensure proper
performance and safety.

2.2 Foreign Literature

According to Hollnagel (2008), Safety is a perception which may easily get in danger
of extinction. Safety cannot genuinely be improved only by looking to the past and
taking precautions against the accidents that have happened Thus, vigilance and
continuous efforts, preferably proactive and sometimes also reactive actions of the
safety management are required in order to keep the situation under control. Globally,
maritime safety is governed by the combination of International Rules and Regulations,
National Regulations of the Flag States and Port States, Port Regulations, Rules of the
Classification Societies and Insurance Companies. International Conventions like,

MARPOL73/78, STCW 95, and SOLAS 74/80 have a very important role in this
framework. This regulatory system, which is supported by the Safety Management
Systems of the shipping companies, is very complicated due to the many players. The
line between the actual ship owner, operator or technical manager of the vessel is not
completely clear in shipping and therefore complicates enforcement of the legal
instruments.

According to Duffey Saull (2005) The maritime is a very challenging environment

exposing considerable physical risk/hazards on ships, their cargoes and people
onboard. All hazards related to the maritime environment are not always easy to keep
in mind or to be detected on a calm and sunny day. Knowledgeable and well learned
sailors are aware of that the conditions can be quite different e.g. during a winter storm,
in a dense fog, in the vicinity of unmarked underwater rocks or in compressive ice,
which are referred to as the Acts of God in Marine Insurance Act 1906. These
hazards, and a vast number of other hazards, related to the development and operation
of the sociotechnical system. For this single reason, certain assessment must be taken
into consideration in the shipping operations. Risks related to collision, contact and
grounding, fire and explosion, capsize and sinking as well as the damage in the
categories of cargo, hull and engine are not unknown to the people involved. All the
countermeasures to avoid the risk seem to have created a positive trend in the accident

statistics during the last decenniums. The descending trend in accident statistics has
been a general phenomenon in the context of various industries.

2.3 Local Studies

The IMO Conference on the enhancement of safety of ships carrying passengers on noninternational voyages, held in Manila, the Philippines, on 24 April 2015, has adopted
guidelines to aid the process of reducing the mounting toll of ferry accidents. The Manila
Statement, adopted by the Conference, addresses the question of whether a ship is fit for
purpose in its intended role. It acknowledges the urgent need to enhance the safety of ships
carrying passengers on non-international voyages in certain parts of the world. States are
urged to review and update their national regulations in relation to their passenger ferries
and to apply the guidelines, in order to address the continuing unacceptable loss of life and
damage to the environment and property caused by ferry casualties. Speaking at the closing
session of the conference, which was hosted by the Government of the Philippines, IMO
Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu said that domestic ferry operations played a crucial role
in the movement of people and goods, and sometimes represented the only possible or
reasonably affordable means of transport. The public expects safety standards on
domestic passenger ferries to be as strong as those on international vessels, Sekimizu said.
The perils of the sea do not distinguish between ships engaged on international or noninternational voyages and the protection of life at sea is a moral obligation. Those
travelling by domestic ferries should enjoy the highest practicable standard of safety

irrespective of their citizenship. The Manila Statement highlights that the safety of
domestic ferries is a shared responsibility between governments, local authorities,
shipowners, ship managers, ship operators, shipboard personnel, maritime education and
training institutions, classification societies and organizations which governments
authorize to survey and certify domestic ferries. Casualties and incidents involving
domestic ferries can be avoided if adequate laws, regulations and rules are developed and
effectively implemented and enforced, Sekimizu said. The conference was attended by
representatives of 13 member states as well as observers from international organizations.
The Manila Statement strongly recommends the use of the guidelines on the safe operation
of coastal and inter-island passenger ships not engaged in international voyages. The
guidelines address issues relating to: the purchase of a second hand ship intended to enter
into service as a domestic passenger ship; changes in operating limits; the conversion or
modification of a ship before the ship enters into service as a domestic passenger ship;
passenger counting and voyage planning. The guidelines can also be used to check the
operation of ships which are already providing passenger services. The statement also
urges states who need technical assistance on matters relating to the operation of domestic
ferries to seek such assistance from IMO or from other states. The outcome of the
Philippines Conference will be reported to IMOs Maritime Safety Committee, Technical
Cooperation Committee and Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments. The
conference was organized in the context of an on-going program conducted by IMO,
through its technical cooperation program, to improve the safety of sea and inland waters

transport operations in several countries and regions, while recognizing that the regulatory
framework of domestic passenger ferries varies considerably from place to place. Since
2006, activities relating to domestic ferries have been pursued in partnership with the
international non-governmental organization Inter ferry, including a series of fora on the
safety of domestic ferries in the East Asia sub-region and for Pacific Island Countries and
Territories, as well as the implementation of a national pilot project in Bangladesh,
including the development of specific training programs.

2.4 Foreign Studies

A Russian cruise ship has been adrift in the North Atlantic since January, after breaking
free from a towing line as it was being delivered from Canada to a scrapyard in the
Dominican Republic. The Lyubov Orlova, built in 1976, once operated as a cruise ship,
exploring the icy waters of Antarctica. In 2010, she was seized at St. Johns harbor in
Newfoundland following a suit by a haulage contractor against the Russian owners over
$250,000 in unpaid fees. The ship remained tied up for more than two years before it was
sold to Caribbean buyers in February 2012.On Jan. 23 of this year, the derelict ship left
Canada for the Dominican Republic to be scrapped, but its towing cable snapped a day
later. The ship escaped again after it was secured by a supply vessel on Jan. 31. It then
drifted into international waters. Transport Canada claims they are no longer responsible
for the ship and that theres little chance of it drifting back under Canadian jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, according to a document from a US intelligence agency, the abandoned ship

was recently seen about 1,300 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland, and is drifting toward
Europe. Earlier this week, Canadian officials acknowledged they did not know the
location of the ship, as the vessels global positioning system was no longer working, the
AFP writes. Irish authorities are looking over satellite data to try and locate the loose
vessel since theres some concern that the ghost ship, apparently infested with rats, could
hit Irelands shore. If that did happen, the government would likely take the ship, bring it
into a port and maybe look for compensation from the owner for any costs associated with
that, maritime lawyer William Cahill told The National Posts Tristin Hopper. Cahill says
it would be hard to pin responsibility on Canada because its not a Canadian registered
ship.

2.5 Synthesis of Related Literature and Studies

The relevance of local and foreign literatures and studies concerning to this research
is to provide information about the findings from the time before the present study occur
which will serve as a reference. The articles as stated involves the results from scenarios or
actual happenings that have been investigated under the maritime field. This events have
been reported through the news and has been occurring from before until now.
For local literatures and studies given, this provides the Filipino researchers the
knowledge of what is happening from recent events. Some of the results do not have
results until now since it is still under investigation. However, most of training schools and

centers have organizational charts to follow in order to lessen the related disasters that have
occurred.
For foreign literature and studies, this provides the information that is actually
happening around the globe. Some of the causes are not only due to human errors but also
the causes that are necessary to be done in order to save lives, for instance is grounding.
Predominantly, captains or masters of the ship are being imprisoned for these matters.
Even though drill operations onboard the ship are done weekly or monthly, there are still
circumstances that are unavoidable.