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A group of seafarers in the Philippines has called on the government to investigate several shipping companies operating without protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance cover.
The United Filipino Seafarers (UFS), a seamen’s association with around 57,000 members, revealed that some shipping firms are sailing their vessels without P&I cover, despite regulations by the country’s Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) making it mandatory, the Manila Bulletin reported.
UFS president Nelson Ramirez said that it is crucial for domestic vessels to have insurance cover, citing several major maritime accidents in the past years.
Ramirez pointed out the Philippine Span Asia, formerly named Sulpicio Lines Inc., as one of the shipowners operating without P&I insurance, due to its poor disaster record.
From 1987 to 2013, the company’s ships were involved in five major accidents, leading to over 5,000 fatalities. The 2008 sinking of the M/V Princess of the Stars had a retrieval cost of PHP500 million (US$9.3 million). According to Ramirez, this is one of the reasons why some shipowners are not interested in taking out insurance for their fleets.
Ramirez called on MARINA to enforce its regulations and make sure that all shipping companies are operating with the necessary cover.
“A healthy maritime industry should have at least less maritime accidents. But unfortunately, these accidents keep on happening in our vast waters,” he said, adding that the shipping regulator was “toothless” compared to its global counterparts.
