PCG: Three foreign vessels violate Philippine regulations

At least three foreign-manned vessels anchored in Manila have committed multiple violations of Philippine regulatory measures, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday, March 24.

During an inter-agency inspection last March 20, the PCG found issues such as unaccounted crew members and non-compliance with Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) regulations on MV Huagan 98, MV An Da Kang 3689, and MV Shingping 007.

MV Huagan had eight Chinese nationals who disembarked before dawn despite official records showing their presence; the vessel's master denied their existence, contradicting logbook records.

The vessels also faced issues like illegal manning, crew turnover violations, missing certificates, discrepancies in crew designations that could lead to revocation of Alien Employment Permits (AEPs), and operational irregularities such as a non-functional CCTV system on MV Huagan 98.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Marina, Bureau of Immigration (BI), and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) joined the inspection to enforce maritime laws and ensure regulatory compliance.

Shipping companies will face legal actions for violating labor and immigration policies as part of government efforts to strengthen maritime security in Philippine waters.