I
Objective

To further strengthen maritime safety through the provision of  immediate response in cases of distress or any maritime incident by being able to pinpoint with high degree of accuracy the location of a ship for the purpose of immediate response/rescue operations.

II
Coverage:

The following categories of ships operating in the coastwise trade shall be covered by this Department Order:

1. Passenger and general cargo ships 150GT and above;
   
2. Tankers and High Speed Crafts regardless of size;
   
3. Fishing vessels 75 GT and above; and
   
4. Tugboats pushing/pulling barges

III
Specific Requirements:

1.         By 01 October 2001, all ships  covered by this Department Order shall install onboard a Global Positioning System (GPS), a device or apparatus used to indicate the nearest position of the ships in addition to existing aids to navigation, i.e., radar, RDF, radar transponder, etc.

2.         Foreign - flagged ships allowed to temporarily operate in the domestic trade pursuant to the provisions of MARINA Memorandum Circular No. 105, shall comply with the provisions of this Department Order.

IV
Penalties/Sanctions:

For failure to install GPS after 01 October 2001, the following fines/penalties shall be imposed after due notice and hearing:

1. First violation P5,000.00 plus warning
   
2. Second violation P10,000.00 plus suspension of CPC/PA/SP
   
3. Third violation P25,000.00 plus cancellation or revocation of CPC/PA/SP
   

V
Effectivity

This Department Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication once in a newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 13 June 2001

(SGD.) PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ
Secretary