QuestionsQuestions (DOTC DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 2000-25)
To prescribe guidelines and procedures for checking unauthorized persons on board domestic passenger vessels to prevent carriage of excess passengers during any voyage and to set responsibilities of all involved sectors.
It applies to all Philippine-registered passenger vessels engaged in domestic trade.
The owner/operator through the vessel Master; however, that authority is limited to the authorized passenger carrying capacity including the ship’s crew.
It requires embarkation and disembarkation stubs (as appropriate) bearing the ticket number, with color codes indicating the passenger’s ultimate destination; the embarkation stub and ticket are the sole basis for boarding authorization.
No. Selling tickets on board is not allowed, and no person without a ticket and embarkation stub may board, except registered porters with proper identification assisting passengers with their baggage.
The Master of the vessel and the shipowner/operator are held responsible; unauthorized passengers refusing to disembark may be referred to law enforcement depending on the nature of the violation (violation of the carriage contract).
1) The ship’s personnel with pertinent employment papers (crew and ancillary service personnel as defined) and 2) passengers with official tickets (including paying and non-paying persons and those with half or discounted fares, excluding those specifically not considered passengers under SOLAS and force majeure shipwrecked/distressed carriage).
Only porters wearing uniforms and properly identified are allowed to assist passengers during boarding time.
If excess passengers are carried, the PCG unit can issue an Inspection and Apprehension Report; the underlying operational consequence is that violations are documented and will be adjudicated under the penalty clause.
Actual boarding time must follow the schedule submitted to PCG; boarding should not occur before scheduled time. Boarding time may be changed if necessary, but the change must be communicated to the PCG at least 24 hours prior, posted at the boarding area, and disseminated by the company.
The company must inform PCG in writing of the boarding schedule; and the passenger manifest (name, age, gender) together with the Master’s Oath of Safe Departure (MOSD) must be submitted to the nearest PCG unit at least one hour before scheduled departure.
Passengers may board only through the terminal/covered area upon presentation of a ticket with the corresponding embarkation stub; the manifest officer collects the stub and the passenger retains the ticket, and the manifest officer reflects actual boarding in the passenger manifest.
At departure, the manifest officer counts collected embarkation stubs by color-coding, records tallies in the Passenger Boarding Report; at the next port, disembarking passengers submit disembarkation stubs, which are tallied against the original boarding report from the port of origin to determine how many passengers may be allowed to board at that port.
It indicates some passengers bought tickets for a short route intending to travel farther. If time allows, the Master shall endeavor to locate and disembark these passengers; if futile, passenger boarding at that port is limited to the number who actually disembarked based on the stubs submitted.
Under the penalty clause, allowing boarding of unauthorized persons on or after designated boarding time is fined: P30,000 (1st offense), P50,000 (2nd offense), and P100,000 (3rd and succeeding offenses), as stated in the table.
IARs are adjudicated by the Commander of the issuing PCG unit as Adjudicating Officer. Appeals first go to the District Commander with jurisdiction over the issuing PCG unit, and a final appeal may be addressed to the Commandant, PCG whose decision is final and executory.
Fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.