Coverage and compulsory pilotage
- Pilotage service shall be compulsory in government and private ports for all foreign vessels.
- Pilotage service shall be compulsory in government and private ports for domestic vessels of 100 GRT and above.
- The compulsory pilotage rule applies uniformly across the stated port categories (government and private ports) and across the specified vessel classes (foreign; domestic ≥ 100 GRT).
Pilotage rates and Supreme Court effect
- Executive Order No. 1088 is treated as valid and declared valid by the Supreme Court for purposes of pilotage implementation.
- The pilotage rates prescribed in Executive Order No. 1088 (Annex “A”) must be strictly implemented.
- Pilotage rates are therefore mandated through the framework of Executive Order No. 1088 rather than by port-by-port ad hoc pricing.
No service, no pay requirement
- The “No Service, No Pay” policy must be enforced and adhered to by all concerned.
- No harbor pilot charge or bill shall be issued for pilotage service that should have been rendered but was not undertaken in reality.
- Shipping companies must remind their Masters not to sign pilotage service tickets for unrendered pilotage.
- Any billing conduct contrary to the “No Service, No Pay” requirement is prohibited under the circular’s enforcement direction.
Tug assistance: optional by default
- Tug assistance is generally optional under normal conditions.
- Compulsory tug assistance applies only in the enumerated areas/situations and triggers listed in the circular.
Tug assistance: compulsory triggers
- Tug assistance becomes compulsory at the following specified baseports/ports and vessel size thresholds:
- Baseport of Cagayan de Oro for all foreign and domestic vessels of 1,500 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 12-95).
- Baseport of Nasipit, Port of Masao and Port of Butuan for all foreign and domestic vessels of 1,000 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 03-96).
- Baseport of Zamboanga for all foreign and domestic vessels of 1,500 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 04-96).
- Port of General Santos and other ports within Socsksargen (SOCSARGEN) area for all foreign and domestic vessels of 1,500 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 06-96).
- Ports within the jurisdiction of PMO-Iligan for all foreign and domestic vessels of 2,000 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 12-96).
- Baseport of Ozamis for all foreign and domestic vessels of 500 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 07-97).
- Baseport of Iloilo and other ports within the jurisdiction of PMO-Iloilo for all foreign and domestic vessels of 1,000 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 11-97).
- South Harbor, Port of Manila for all foreign and domestic vessels of 500 GRT and above (PPA AO No. 06-98).
- Tug assistance is also compulsory when any of the conditions stated in Section 12 of PPA AO No. 03-85 necessitating compulsory tug assistance is present (PPA AO No. 03-85).
- The compulsory tug assistance rule therefore operates both by (a) location + vessel size thresholds and by (b) the presence of conditions under Section 12 of PPA AO No. 03-85.
Tug assistance rates and approval workflow
- Existing tug assistance rates in the various ports are shown in Annex “B”.
- When no applicable tug assistance fees exist for a given situation, the shipping company and the tugboat operator must agree on the chargeable rate.
- After agreement, the agreed rate must be immediately sent to the General Manager, through CSD, for approval and subsequent dissemination.
- Approved tug assistance rates are then disseminated after the General Manager’s approval through the prescribed channel (CSD).