Question & AnswerQ&A (PCG MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 14-93)
Republic Act No. 5173 empowers the Philippine Coast Guard to establish, develop, maintain and operate aids to navigation and to establish navigational lanes.
The Convention on International Regulation for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) 1972, as amended by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Twelfth Regular Session held on 19 November 1991.
The purpose is to prescribe a sea lane between Manila South Harbor Anchorage to Sangley Point and Fort San Felipe, Cavite City, to ensure safety of navigation and to delimit the area where obstructions may be placed.
The sea lane is bounded by two imaginary lines extending from Markers A, B, and C respectively, and from the Sangley Aero Light to Jetty No. 3, South Harbor, Manila along the Fort San Felipe-Sangley Point-Manila Anchorage route.
Marker A is located at Latitude 14 degrees 20 minutes 31 seconds North and Longitude 120 degrees 55 minutes 24 seconds East.
Markers A and B are colored green, and Marker C is colored red.
Vessels must keep to the right within the sea lane, and vessels proceeding to Cavite should pass at least 500 meters west of the line of markers (Points A, B, and C).
No vessel shall anchor east of the line connecting the south entrance light and Sangley aero light within the sea lane.
No fishtrap, fishpen, or structure of any kind shall be laid or established along or west of the sea lane. Owners of any such existing structures must remove them within a reasonable period; otherwise, the structures will be removed at the owner's expense.
A violation will subject the offender to an administrative fine of not less than Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) but not exceeding Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00).
The master and/or shipowner may be fined Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00), have their license suspended, or both.
The memorandum takes effect two weeks after submission to the UP Law Center or two weeks after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
Removal of obstructions must be done within six (6) months after the completion of the concrete markers.
Vessels should avoid crossing the sea lane as far as practicable; if obliged to cross, they must do so at a right angle to the general direction of traffic flow.
No, vessels engaged in fishing shall not impede the passage of any vessel within the sea lane.