DoTr holds seafarer crew change in Bataan municipality

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr), through its maritime sector, conducted the first crew change operations outside Metro Manila at Port Capinpin in Orion, Bataan on September 5.

Port Capinpin, a port operated and managed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), was activated as a crew change hub on August 19.

The crew change operations at the said port commenced after more than a month of securing operational requirements for the location such as the establishment of a one-stop-shop (OSS), RT-PCR testing booths, quarantine facilities, anchorage, application and Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) procedures, and tugboats.

“To be exact, it took us a month and one week before we were able to put up the OSS here in Orion. We needed to match the OSS protocols with those of the protocols implemented by the Bataan Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF),” Office for Transportation Security (OTS) Administrator and OSS Head, Undersecretary Raul del Rosario said.

The activation of crew change hubs was directed byTransportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to help address the global need for a fresh crew of ships, and to ensure the health, safety, welfare, and employment of seafarers as they can only serve on board a vessel without leave up to 11 months based on International Labor Organization (ILO) 2006 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). This will primarily benefit seafarers, who are stranded on board ships with expired contracts due to imposed travel restrictions due to the pandemic.

Strict protocols and procedures were set by the OSS to ensure the smooth implementation of crew change operations. Before embarkation, seafarers are required to undergo RT-PCR testing 72 hours before boarding.

After getting a negative result, they will be subjected to a physical examination by the BOQ, as well as Customs and Immigration procedures. Upon obtaining clearance, they will be sent to the vessel where they will receive handover of duties from off signees. On the other hand, off signing seafarers are required to undergo CIQ procedures onboard vessels. Once fully cleared by authorities, they will be sent to the port for disembarkation, debriefing, RT-PCR testing, and quarantine.

To further help seafarers, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said that they are currently constructing a 100-bed quarantine facility at Port Capinpin, which may be used by seafarers for free while waiting for the result of their Covid-19 test.

In August, a total of three crew change hubs were activated by the Dotr, which are located at the Port of Manila, Port of Capinpin, and at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Other ports for activation include Batangas, Davao, and Cebu.