Pursuant to the policy of the government to ensure the riding public of a safe and comfortable sea travel and in order to avoid over-crowding/overloading as well as control/eliminate scalping of tickets in the interisland passenger vessels, the following guidelines are hereby promulgated:

1. The vessel(s) should be berthed about 1 to 1.5 meters (or at a distance as practicability would dictate) away from the quay/pier during embarkation of passengers;

2. Manifests or passenger lists should be prepared and made available before the vessel leaves port;

3. Only [a] person or persons with tickets shall be allowed to board the vessel. Those found to have no tickets shall be assessed one hundred percent (100%) additional fare as penalty;

4. Employees of shipping companies are prohibited from issuing tickets on board except for-the purpose of issuing tickets with the corresponding penalty therefor. Violation hereof is punishable by a fine not exceeding the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) for the purpose of issuing tickets with the corresponding penalty therefor. Violation hereof is punishable by a fine not exceeding the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) for the first offense. Succeeding offenses shall be dealt with more severely;

5. The responsibility of conducting head count on passengers lies with the shipowners/ship officers in line with PCGG Memorandum Circular No. 04-88;

6. Cabin of all ship's officers and crew maybe subjected to inspection to prevent passengers from hiding in these spaces;

7. The members of the MARINA and/or PCG Task Force shall be-accompanied by at least one of the vessel's complement during the monitoring/checking of numbers of passengers on board;

8. Officers and crew members shall always wear uniforms or identification paraphernalia during monitoring/checking to distinguish them from passengers; and

9. Under no circumstances may a vessel carrying more than or in excess of its authorized passenger capacity leave port. Any violation hereof shall be meted out penalty of Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) for the first offense. Subsequent offenses shall be dealt with more severely.

This Memorandum Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette and/or a newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 10 April 1989 .

(SGD) PHILIP S. TUAZON
Administrator

Effective: 23 November 1989