Purpose and Covered Use
- The circular prescribes policies and procedures to enhance maritime safety during the occurrence of tropical depression, storm, or typhoon in the Philippine area of responsibility.
- The circular applies to all vessels operating within the territorial jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines.
- The circular’s core operating rule is that vessels must avoid prohibited sailing conditions under raised Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) levels and must take shelter when conditions indicate probable danger.
Defined Terms and PSWS Levels
- Heavy Weather refers to violent atmospheric conditions of wind and sea such as the occurrence of tropical depression, storm, or typhoon.
- MARINA means the Maritime Industry Authority.
- PAGASA means the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
- PCG means the Philippine Coast Guard.
- PPA means the Philippine Ports Authority.
- Vessel refers to any ship, watercraft, or other conveyances used or capable of being used as means of transportation.
- Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) Nr 1 is declared if winds of 30–60 kph (approximately 16 to 32 knots) are expected in the locality in at least 36 hours.
- Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) Nr 2 is raised if winds of greater than 60 kph up to 100 kph (approximately 33–54 knots) are expected in the locality in at least 24 hours.
- Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) Nr 3 is raised if winds of greater than 100 kph up to 185 kph (approximately 54–100 knots) are expected in the locality in at least 18 hours.
- Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) Nr 4 is raised if winds of greater than 185 kph (approximately 100 knots and above) are expected in the locality in at least 12 hours.
- A PSWS Sector refers to areas covered by PSWS Nr. 1 or PSWS Nr. 2 and higher shown with corresponding color codes, as provided in PAGASA website.
- Route means a way or course taken or planned to be taken in navigating from a point of origin to a point of destination, differentiated from the word “route” used in MARINA-issued franchises.
Exemptions from the Guidelines
- Tugboats purposely used in assisting vessels in docking or undocking to or from berthing piers or wharves are exempt.
- Government-operated vessels used for non-commercial purposes are exempt.
- Vessels called upon by the PCG to assist in a specific search and rescue operation are exempt.
Core Prohibitions and Sailing Rules
- Vessels of 1,000 gross tons or below shall not sail, except to take shelter, when PSWS Nr 1 is hoisted within its point of origin or route or point of destination.
- For vessels above 1,000 gross tons, sailing during PSWS Nr 1 within the point of origin or route or point of destination is left to the discretion and responsibility of the ship owner and master.
- Vessels of any tonnage shall not sail, except to take shelter, when PSWS Nr 2 or higher is hoisted within its point of origin or route or point of destination.
- Ship owners and masters of vessels above 1,000 gross tons who are given or left discretion to sail during a storm shall exercise extra precautionary measures and shall carefully study the possible effect of a storm to the vessel’s voyage, considering the forecasted track, wind force, and radius of the storm in reference to weather bulletins and Tropical Cyclone Warning for Shipping issued by PAGASA every 0500H, 1100H, 1700H, and 2300H.
- Vessels sailing for the purpose of taking shelter shall depart without passengers.
- Cargoes already loaded onboard may remain onboard for sheltering, provided that maximum precautionary measures are observed through proper lashing and stowage.
- The decision and responsibility of ensuring the safety of the ship and crew when deciding to take shelter rests with the Master and ship owner.
- Vessels shall not sail when the point of origin or route or point of destination is within an applicable PSWS Sector where sailing is not allowed based on the latest PAGASA weather bulletin.
- Ship owners and masters shall not depart from the intent of the circular by violating the objective of provisions on taking shelter.
- Ship owners and masters shall exercise extra-ordinary diligence required by law for common carriers to ensure the safety of life and property at sea.
Mandatory On-Board Actions and Reporting
- Every Master or person in charge of a vessel, including the ship owner/operator, shall ensure safety of life at sea takes precedence at all times.
- The Master or person in charge shall obtain the latest weather bulletin and shall plot the typhoon track and PSWS Sectors on the weather chart onboard and at the company operations center or office.
- When an applicable PSWS number (as provided in the circular’s sailing rules) is hoisted in the port where a vessel is located or along its route or destination, the Master or Patron—when probable danger exists based on judgment—shall, prior to departure, inform the nearest PCG unit in writing of the decision to take shelter in a safer place or avoid the storm path, attesting that leaving port is his decision in consultation with the ship owner.
- Before leaving port to take shelter, the Master or Patron shall disembark passengers and institute maximum precautionary measures for properly stowing and securing onboard cargoes as prescribed by MARINA, and shall cause cargo watches to be posted to ensure safe cargo condition during the entire voyage/sheltering.
- If already underway when an applicable PSWS number is hoisted in the vessel’s immediate vicinity or along its route or destination, the Master or Patron shall take no other option except to avoid the storm path and take shelter, and shall promptly inform the ship owner and the nearest Coast Guard unit.
- Ship owners/operators shall ensure that Masters maintain continuous communication with them and shall ensure immediate reporting to the Coast Guard of the vessel’s compliance with the circular.
- Masters or patrons shall take all necessary precautions to avoid danger to the ship and injury to the crew and passengers.
- Communication between the vessel and the ship owner/operator shall be maintained at all times during the entire voyage, including when taking shelter.
- Communication checks between the vessel and the ship owner/operator shall be conducted at an interval of at least every 30 minutes.
- Any failure of communication shall be reported immediately by the ship owner/operator to the nearest Coast Guard unit through any available means.
Assigned Responsibilities by Agency
- The Director, PCG Action Center/Command Duty Officer shall coordinate with PAGASA on weather bulletin availability every 0500H, 1100H, 1700H, 2300H or whenever PAGASA updates are available, and shall disseminate updates through the fastest communications to all PCG units, prioritizing directly affected or potentially affected areas.
- The Director, PCG Action Center/Command Duty Officer shall plot in the weather chart the track, forecast position of the typhoon and the PSWS Sectors for operational reference.
- The Director, PCG Action Center/Command Duty Officer shall immediately advise the Commandant, PCG of any major maritime incident.
- The Director, PCG Action Center/Command Duty Officer shall continuously monitor PCG units and take appropriate action on reported maritime incidents, and shall recommend activation of a Crisis Management Committee to the Chief, CG Staff for major incidents.
- PCG District Commanders shall monitor and promptly obtain the latest weather bulletin through HPCG or PAGASA, plot the typhoon track, forecast position, and PSWS Sectors, and promptly disseminate the latest bulletin to subordinate units.
- PCG District Commanders shall submit SITREP to HPCG at intervals of every 6 hours if PSWS signal number 1 and 2 are hoisted, every 3 hours if PSWS signal number 3 is hoisted, and every hour if PSWS signal number 4 is hoisted, with SITREP including weather and maritime traffic condition.
- PCG District Commanders shall monitor distress frequencies (VHF Channel 16 [156.8 Mhz] and HF 2182 Khz H3E [AM]) particularly during adverse/heavy weather.
- PCG Station/Detachment Commanders shall promptly obtain and monitor the latest weather bulletin through the District Headquarters, HPCG, or PAGASA, plot and display the weather chart in a conspicuous area, and promptly disseminate updates to subordinate units.
- PCG Station/Detachment Commanders shall render SITREP to District Headquarters at intervals of every 6 hours if PSWS Nr 1 and 2 are hoisted, every 3 hours if PSWS Nr 3 is hoisted, and every hour if PSWS Nr 4 is hoisted, and shall put on record all notifications from vessels intending to seek shelter.
- PCG Station/Detachment Commanders shall monitor distress frequencies (VHF Channel 16 [156.8 Mhz] and HF 2182 Khz H3E [AM]) particularly during adverse/heavy weather.
Ship Owner, Operator, and Master Duties
- Ship owners/operators shall ensure all vessels are properly informed of weather updates obtained from PAGASA or other available sources, including PSWS sectors where typhoon signals are hoisted or may be hoisted.
- Ship owners/operators shall install weather fax and other weather monitoring equipment as prescribed by MARINA.
- Ship owners/operators shall disallow the Master or Patron from having the vessel depart from port except for sheltering purposes when a typhoon signal is hoisted or expected to be hoisted within the vessel’s area of origin or along its route or destination where his vessel is not allowed to sail.
- Ship owners/operators shall monitor and maintain communication with their vessel from departure until arrival at the destination port.
- When en route, and once an applicable PSWS number is hoisted in the vessel’s immediate vicinity or along its route or point of destination, ship owners/operators shall order the Master or Patron to seek shelter, ensure continuous communication, and notify the PCG of the vessel’s action to take shelter.
- Ship owners/operators shall keep track of all weather bulletins and reports for dissemination purposes and monitor vessel situation or movement until the typhoon leaves the Philippine AOR.
- If the typhoon signal is lifted by PAGASA, ship owners/operators shall order the Master or Patron to inform the nearest PCG unit of the intent to proceed or continue the voyage to the destination.
- Ship owners/operators shall inform the PCG immediately of any unusual incident such as maritime incident involvement, missing status, loss of contact, or engine derangement.
- Ship owners/operators shall direct Masters to institute maximum precautionary measures for proper cargo stowage and lashing before departure and cause posting of cargo watches to ensure safe cargo condition during the entire voyage/sheltering.
- Ship owners/operators shall require Masters, operations officers, or ship representatives involved in safe operation to review/study the Typhoon Evasion or Avoidance Doctrine.
Master/Patron Operating Mandates
- Masters/Patrons shall obtain and monitor weather bulletins through PAGASA, company offices, and other available sources.
- Masters/Patrons shall plot the prevailing weather condition, weather forecast, and PSWS sectors on the weather chart.
- Masters/Patrons shall inform the nearest PCG unit of decisions to depart to seek shelter as may be necessary.
- Masters/Patrons shall ensure there are no passengers onboard when departing from port to seek shelter.
- Masters/Patrons shall take no other option except to take shelter and shall immediately inform the ship owner if a PSWS number is raised while underway for an area where the vessel is not allowed to sail.
- Masters/Patrons shall maintain continuous communication with ship owners/operators and shall notify the PCG of action to take shelter.
- Masters/Patrons shall institute maximum precautionary measures for cargo stowage and lashing before departure and cause posting of cargo watches to ensure safe cargo condition during the entire voyage/sheltering.
- Masters/Patrons shall review/study the Typhoon Evasion or Avoidance Doctrine.
- The overall responsibility for ensuring the safety of the ship, its passengers, and crew rests with the Master/Patron at all times.