I
Authority

RA 5173, Philippine Coast Guard Law 1967

II
References

A. HPCG/CG-5 Memorandum Circular No. 02 dated 15 November 1974

B. HPCG/CG-8 Memorandum Circular No. 05 dated 22 November 1974

C. Philippine Merchant Marine Rules and Regulations, as amended (CMR)

D. SOLAS Consolidated Edition 1997 (Consolidated Text of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention 1974, and its Protocol of 1978)

E. Testing and Evaluation of Life-Saving Appliances 1992 Edition, Resolutions A. 689 (17) as amended, and A. 520 (13), IMO London 1993

F. Resolution A.761 (18) Adopted on 04 November 1993 (Agenda item 11), IMO London 1993

G. HPCG/CG-8 Memorandum Circular No. 05-94 dated 22 February 1994.

III
Scope/Application

This Memorandum Circular shall apply to:

A. All Manufacturers/Service Stations/Suppliers of life-saving appliances and fire fighting equipment required on board Philippine registered vessels, amphibians and seaplanes; and

B. All Philippine registered vessels, amphibians and seaplanes.

IV
Purpose

The purpose of this Memorandum Circular is to provide a set of guidelines in accrediting a Firm and its Manufacturing Station, Supply Station, or Service Station, before authorizing the said Firm to manufacture, supply, distribute and/or service any or all of the life-saving appliances and fire-fighting equipment required on board Philippine registered vessels, amphibians and sea-planes; and to ensure its enforcement.

V
Definition of Terms

A. œVessel  is a propelled or non-propelled, stationary or moving afloat or submerged, and partially or fully endorsed container, so constructed for the purpose of carrying or holding cargoes, mechanical or electrical equipment and/or persons.

B. For the purpose of this MC, œSafety Equipment  is the general term of life-saving appliances and fire fighting equipment which are required on board Philippine-registered vessels, amphibians and seaplaces. The given all capital letters abbreviations of these safety equipment are enumerated as follows:

SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND THEIR ABBREVIATIONS
Manufacturing Supplying Servicing Meaning 1. LJA LJA* - - - Lifejacket-Adult (Inherent Buoyancy) LJA LJC* - - - Lifejacket-Child (Inherent Buoyancy) LJL LJL*   Lifejacket Lights 2. ILJ-A ILJ-A* ILJ-A Inflatable Lifejacket for Adult ILJ-C ILJ-C* ILJ-C Inflatable Lifejacket for Child 3. RLB
RLB-S RLB*
RLB-S* - - - Ring Lifebuoy
Ring Lifebuoy with Self-igniting Light and/or self-activated smoke signal 4. LSL LSL* LSL Lifebuoy Self-igniting Light 5. LSAS LSAS*   Lifebuoy Self-activating Smoke Signal 6. ILR ILR* ILR Inflatable Liferaft 7. HRU HRU HRU Hydrostatic Release Unit 8. RLR RLR* - - - Rigid Liferaft 9. LBM LBM** - - - Lifeboat, Motor Propelled 10. LBN LBN** - - - Lifeboat, Non-propelled 11. PFE PFE* PFE Portable Fire Extinguisher 12. MFE MFE* MFE Movable Fire Extinguisher 13. PSV PSV (PSV) Pressure Safety Value device for pressurized air container (Annual hydrostatic test by Ship Chief Engineer) 14.- - - - - - PGC Pressurized Gas Container for inflating Inflatable Liferafts 15. FAX FAX* - - - Fire Ax

VI
Procedure

A. Before any manufacturer, supplier and service firm of any of the safety equipment mentioned in paragraph V.B 1) to 21) can do business legally, it is first required to secure from the PCG a yearly issuance of any of all or all of the following:

1. œPCG Accredited Manufacturer Certificate  for specific Manufacturing Company/Firm at a given address, to manufacture the specified safety equipment per paragraph V.B.1) to 21);

2. œPCG Accredited Supplier Certificate  for specific Supply Station at a given address, to supply or sell the specified safety equipment per paragraph V.B.1) to 21); and

3. œPCG Accredited Service Station Certificate  for specific Service Station at a given address, to service the specified safety equipment per paragraph V.B.1) to 21).

B. Schedule of Fees:

1. PCG Accredited Manufacturer Certificate -P 1,500.00
                                      plus  P 1,000.00 for every product line per paragraph V.1)  to 2
2. PCG Accredited Supplier Certificate      P 1,000.00
3. PCG Accredited Service Station Certificate P 500.00
4. Application Fee                            P 100.00

A branch of a firm in a different location shall have its application treated as distinct from its mother company and shall submit a set of separate document-requirements, considering the need to check its facilities, equipment, operational procedures and site.

C. The requirements for the issuance of any of the above -mentioned certificates shall be as follows:

1. Letter request addressed to the Commandant, PCG (Attn: Assistant Chief of Staff for Maritime Safety Affairs, CG-8) indicating the particular item/s being requested for accreditation and issuance of appropriate certificates.

2. After Inspection/Evaluation Report of detailed PCG Inspector/Evaluator with favorable recommendations for the grant of the relevant certificate, with corresponding justifications and evidences attached thereto.

3. Articles of Incorporation, together with its latest certified list of Incorporators, Members of the Board of Directors, Executive Officers/Articles of Partnership issued by SEC/Certificate of Registration of Business Name, together with its Original Application and License Certificate for the said specified business, Accreditation Certificate, if any, all issued by DTI, and legal proofs of Filipino citizenship for all partners and for single proprietorship/BIR Certificate of Registration, VAT Registration and balance sheet, as applicable;

4. Affidavit of the top man of the firm concerned, certifying and pledging that no member of his firm is or will be connected or shall become an investor of any shipping, lighterage or towerage business firm;

5. Drawn to scale floor plan of the Manufacturing Station/Supply Station/Service Station, with its vicinity map, indicating therein the spaces for quality inspection area, stock room, working area and locations of tools, equipment, vehicles and machinery needed for the manufacturing/supplying/ servicing of such specific safety equipment applied for together with pictures showing the said items;

6. Valid Mayor ™s Permit of the firm for such particular business purpose(s), together with Sanitary Permit, as applicable;

Additional requirements for the issuance of specific certificate shall be as follows:    

7. For the Service Station Certificate, training credentials and any other proof of technical competency and proficiency of the company technicians in line with the tasks relevant to the service being offered.

8. For the Supplier or Service Station Certificate, two copies of the manufacturer ™s authorization to supply or to service such type of safety equipment manufactured abroad together with two copies of its brochures and required documents cited in paragraph V.G.

VII
Responsibilities

A. All Companies/Firms/Stations engaged in the business of manufacturing, supplying and/or servicing of safety equipment are required to secure valid PCG Certificates corresponding to the line of their service and/or product being offered before they could transact business. They shall only produce products and use facilities, technicians, equipment and operational procedures that have been duly approved by PCG. They are also required to apply for the renewal of their certificates one (1) month before their expiration date.

B. All holders of valid œPCG Accredited Manufacturer Certificate  shall be responsible in marking all their manufactured safety equipment with its secret identifying mark(s) as proof(s) of original ownership together with the markings required in Paragraph V.

C. All holders of valid œPCG Accredited Service Station Certificate  shall be responsible in attaching to the equipment the Firm ™s seal along with the other required markings, in order to indicate and guarantee that services were satisfactorily rendered at a specified date in compliance with the requirements of pertinent regulations;

The Assistant Chief of Staff for Maritime Safety Affairs, CG-8 shall:

1. Be responsible in the over-all supervision and the effective implementation of this MC

2. Coordinate with cognizant Coast Guard District Commanders for the submission of complete requirements from applicants based in the provinces.

3. Assign inspectors/evaluators who shall conduct the mandatory inspection/evaluation of the applicant ™s (firm), facilities, operational procedures, documentation and products.

VIII
Rescission Clause

All other PCG Memorandum Circulars, inconsistent with this, are rescinded.

IX
Effectivity

This Memorandum Circular shall take effect one month after publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 26 Jan. 1998

(SGD.) COMMO. MANUEL I. DE LEON AFP
Commandant, PCG