ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL MARITIME SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL

WHEREAS, the development of the maritime industry
is vital to the attainment of the national development thrusts of people
empowerment and global competitiveness;

WHEREAS, ensuring maritime safety at all times is
vital to attain the growth and development objectives of the industry;

WHEREAS, the enhancement of maritime safety
requires collective and coordinated efforts among and between government and
the private sectors;

WHEREAS, there is a need for an effective and
efficient mechanism to coordinate the formulation and implementation of
policies and programs affecting maritime safety, including immediate resolution
of issues and concerns related thereto;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. MARCOS, President of
the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law,
do hereby order:

Section 1. Establishment of the National Maritime
Safety Coordinating Council. There is hereby created the National Maritime
Safety Coordinating Council, hereinafter referred to as the “Council”, to serve
as the coordinating body for the formulation and implementation of policies and
programs affecting maritime safety.

Section 2. Composition. The Council shall be
composed of the following:

Section 3. Powers and Functions. The Council shall
have the following powers and functions:

1. Coordinate the formulation and implementation of
policies and programs affecting maritime safety

2. Recommend policies toward enhancing safety of
lives and properties in the seas, including their implementing strategies.

3. Provide an effective and efficient mechanism for
coordination, complementation and collaboration in the resolution of issues and
concerns affecting maritime safety.

4. Monitor the implementation of the programs and
policies on maritime safety.

5. Discharge other functions which may be deemed
necessary by the President.

Section 4. Initial Activity. The Council shall
immediately review the existing National Maritime Safety Plan towards its
updating to include the present concerns and developments on maritime safety.
In this regard, the Committee shall submit to the President, not later than
thirty days (30) from the issuance of this Order, a Comprehensive National
Maritime Safety Plan which shall include, among others, the delineation of
duties and responsibilities on ensuring maritime safety, strategies on
preventing and responding to maritime incidents/accidents, and timely disposition
of cases involving violation of rules and regulations on maritime safety.

Section 5. Secretariat/Technical Support. The
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) shall provide technical and administrative
support to the operation of the Council. Whenever necessary, however, the
Council may tap other government agencies and/or create appropriate committees
to ensure the attainment of its objectives.

Section 6. Funding. The yearly budgetary
requirement for the operation of the Council shall be drawn from the
contribution of its member-agencies. For its initial year, the MARINA shall
provide ONE MILLION PESOS (P1,000,000.00) from its unprogrammed funds for 1996,
subject to existing auditing rules and regulations.

Section 7. Reporting. The Council shall provide the
President a quarterly report on its activities. It shall also review and submit
its findings, not later than fifteen (15) days from the issuance of this Order,
on the doability of the recommendations adopted during the Maritime Safety
Conference held on 27-28 March 1996, including their implementing instruments.

Section 8. Private Sector and Local Government Unit
Participation. The Council shall tap private sector and local government units
in pursuing its functions and responsibilities, including the monitoring of the
implementation of maritime safety policies and programs.

Section 9. Effectivity. This Order shall take
effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 28th day of March
in the Year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the
President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN
D. TORRES
Executive Secretary

.

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}