Pursuant to Act No. 3846, as amended, EO 546 series of 1979, RA 7925 and in order to promote and enhance the public maritime communications service taking into consideration maritime safety and the advancements in technology, the Commission hereby promulgates the following:

1.    A Public Telecommunications Entity (PTE) may be authorized to install, operate and maintain public coast stations:

1. in not more than two (2) service areas (city or municipality) per province;
   
   
2. in any or all of the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete, Roxas, and Batangas which for purposes of this Memorandum Circular shall not be included in the respective provinces where they are located;
   
   
3. in any or all of the cities and municipalities in the National Capital Region (NCR)
   

2.    The Commission may allow the installation, construction and operation of not more than two (2) HF public coast stations per service area by a duly enfranchised and authorized PTE covered by its (PTE) authorization granted subject to the availability of radio frequencies for maritime coast stations.

3.    The processing of applications for permits and licenses for public coast stations shall be decentralized to the Regional Offices where the public coast stations are to be located.  No permit or license including permits for tests and demonstrations including temporary permits to operate/propagate shall be issued to any PTE without valid authorizations (provisional authority or CPCN) from the Commission.

4.    In granting permits and licenses the Regional Office shall see to it that interference to nearby or adjacent authorized and licensed station is prevented.  Public Coast Station operators shall operate strictly on a non-interference basis (NIB).

5.    All authorized public coast stations shall be operated in accordance with existing national and international rules and regulations and shall have a separate receiver equipment for HF and receivers with capability to receive and transmit on Digital Selective Calling (DSC) mode, both in the VHF and HF bands and shall ensure that adequate and reliable services are provided for the safety of navigation and life at sea.

6.    Duly enfranchised public coast station operators with more than two (2) HF public coast stations per service area in contravention to this circular, are given a period of one (1) year from the effectivity of this circular to comply to the provisions hereof.

7.    Violations of this Circular shall be dealt with in accordance with law and shall be ground for the suspension, modification or cancellation of the authority or certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN).

This memorandum circular supersedes or amends any order, circular or instruction or parts thereof inconsistent herewith and shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation and three (3) certified true copies furnished the UP Law Center.

Adopted: 20 July 2004
     

(SGD.) RONALD OLIVAR SOLIS

Commissioner

(SGD.) KATHLEEN G. HECETA

(SGD.) JORGE V. SARMIENTO

Deputy Commissioner

Deputy Commissioner