Policy objective and governing scope
- The Circular provides rules that govern the registration and documentation of ships entitled to fly the Philippine flag under Philippine laws.
- The Circular also provides rules on the deletion of such ships from the Register of Philippine Ships.
- The rules apply to all types of ships operating in Philippine waters regardless of size and utilization, whether with power or without power, including those below three (3) gross tonnage (GT).
- The rules apply to motorized and non-motorized ships.
- The following ships are excluded from coverage:
- Warships and naval ships
- Ships of the Philippine Coast Guard
- All ships of foreign registry temporarily used in Philippine waters
- Inflatable Boats used for rescue made of either a single or more rubber tubing
Defined terms and key concepts
- Administration refers to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
- Deletion means the cancellation of a ship’s registry from the Register of Philippine Ships and the termination of its trading status in domestic shipping trade.
- Domestic Ownership means ownership vested in Philippine citizens or Philippine corporations, cooperatives, or associations organized under Philippine laws with at least sixty percentum (60%) of capital stock/capital wholly by citizens of the Philippines.
- Homeport is the port where the ship is registered.
- Port of Registry is the Philippine port where the ship’s record of registry is kept and maintained, and also the homeport where the ship’s first entry into the registry was made.
- Ship Registration means documentation and authorization of a ship to sail under the Philippine flag.
- Ship or Vessel means any craft or artificial contrivance capable of floating in water, designed to be used or capable of being used as a means of water transport in Philippine waters, for carriage of passengers or cargo (or both), using its own motive power or that of another.
- Personal Water Craft (PWC) (also called water scooter) means a recreational watercraft ridden or stood on rather than inside, as in a boat; it is a jet drive boat less than 13 feet long designed for two or three people or four passenger models.
- Single or More Rubber Tubing (SMRT) means inflatable boats made of rubber consisting of:
- a single tube for a banana boat for pleasure and for rescue or similar boats; and
- four inflatable tubes (two side tubes, a bow tube, and a keelson tube) with a rigid floor piece and rigid transom for fitting an outboard motor.
- Miscellaneous Ship includes all ships not falling under classes identified in Regulation I/5 paragraph 4.2 of the PMMRR 1997, including WIG, amphibian, submarine, hydrofoil, hovercraft, floating restaurants, and tandem pushboat.
- Special Purpose Ship means a mechanically self-propelled ship which, due to its function, carries onboard more than 12 special personnel including passengers, including Power Barges and Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU).
- Type of Ship includes ship classes enumerated in Regulation I/5 of PMMRR 1997: Class A Passenger ships; Class B Cargo ships; Class C Tankers; Class D Tugs and Dredgers; Class E Fishing Vessels; Class F Yachts; Class G High Speed Crafts; Class H Special Purpose ships; Class I Miscellaneous Ships.
- Type of Ship, according to construction groups ships based on design as enumerated in Appendix B of MARINA Administrative Order No. 07-12 dated 12 April 2012.
- Yacht means any ship used for pleasure only, whether power driven or not, including Personal Water Craft (PWC).
- Deletion certificates and recordkeeping concepts are operationalized through the Register of Philippine Ships maintained by MARINA.
General rules on registration and documentation
- All ships of domestic ownership plying Philippine waters regardless of size and utilization must be properly registered and issued:
- Certificate of Philippine Registry (CPR), and
- Certificate of Ownership (CO).
- The Circular specifies that attached forms apply to Annex “A” for CPR and Annex “B” for CO.
- PWC, WIG, amphibian, submarine, hydrofoil, hovercraft, floating restaurants, tandem push boat, and MODU must be registered and issued CPR and CO.
- Ships acquired through bareboat charter under PD 760, as amended receive a temporary CPR co-terminus with the validity of the charter period approved by MARINA, and no CO is issued.
- Ships acquired through importation or bareboat chartering may be issued a Provisional Certificate of Philippine Registry (CPPR/PCPR) to facilitate delivery to Philippine ports.
- The Provisional CPR has a fixed validity of a maximum of three (3) months or is co-terminus with the approved Authority to Import (AI).
- For newly-built ships, PCPR is issued for conduction purposes only.
- No PCPR is issued to ships operating under a Special Permit under MARINA MC 105, as amended by MARINA MC 2011-04.
- MARINA must maintain a Register of Philippine Ships that is open to free inspection by the public during regular office hours.
- Ships registered under the Philippine flag may be deleted under circumstances enumerated in the Circular’s deletion provisions, and MARINA must issue a Certificate of Deletion effective on the date indicated.
- Any change and/or correction in entries of the CPR/CO requires reissuance of these certificates.
- Owners/operators or charterers must pay annual tonnage fee pursuant to MARINA Memorandum Circular Nos. 2008-05 and 2008-07, except for:
- owners/operators/charterers of fishing vessels, and
- non-motorized ships below three (3) GT.
- A ship involved/used for smuggling or carriage/transport of illegal drugs as reported by the Philippine Coast Guard will not be issued a Certificate of Philippine Registry and Certificate of Ownership.
Naming, official numbers, and ship registers
- A domestic shipowner/operator must secure MARINA approval for assignment of the proposed ship name subject for registration.
- MARINA, through its Management Information Systems Office (MISO), approves name assignment when the proposed name has not been assigned nor borne by another ship.
- The ship name must be painted on each side of the bow, and the homeport must be painted at the ship’s stern.
- Every ship registered must be assigned an official number unique to each ship.
- The official number has 10 characters:
- the first two (2) characters refer to the Central Office or MRO where the ship is registered; and
- the last seven (7) characters are the ascending number for ships registered.
- The Circular provides specifications for official number markings based on material of main beam:
- Wood: height 76.20 mm; depth 9.53–12.70 mm; width 12.70 mm
- Iron or other Metal: height 76.20 mm; depth 3.18–12.70 mm; width 12.70 mm
- The official number assigned must be carved or permanently marked in the ship’s main beam and, together with the name, must appear on all ship documents.
- For open-hulled ships, the official number must not be less than:
- 25.4 mm in height, and
- 6.35 mm in width,
and must be placed at the most accessible frame forward of the engine.
- Registration for domestic trade is processed as follows:
- Trampers: at the Central Office (CO) or nearest MRO where the company’s principal or branch office is located.
- Liners: at the Central Office (CO) or nearest MRO where the company’s principal office is located, or any port of call where the company has a branch office.
- The Register of Philippine Ships must contain the following particulars:
- Name of Ship
- Former Names and Registry (if applicable)
- Type of Ship (service/construction)
- Call Sign
- Official Number
- IMO Number (if applicable)
- Material of Hull
- Principal Dimensions and Structure (mast/decks/stem/stern)
- Tonnage (gross/net/deadweight)
- Class
- Speed
- Main engine
- Builders/Place of Built
- Year Built
- Name of Owner
- Name of former owner
- Mode of Acquisition (e.g., imported, bareboat chartered under PD 760, locally constructed, locally purchased)
- MARINA Administrative Order No. 07-12 dated 12 April 2012 and its subsequent amendments on guidelines for filling up, maintenance, safekeeping, and access to the Register are adopted as an integral part of the Circular.
- Slight recording errors that do not affect substance (e.g., misspelled words) must be corrected by the registrar or designated officer by striking through the wrong entry and writing the correction above it, with the officer’s initials beside the corrected entry.
- Errors that may affect meaning must be corrected only upon petition or notice by the concerned party, by rewriting the entire line(s) below where the error occurred, with a statement of circumstances, and the responsible officer’s signature.
- Errors made in copying must not be erased; required changes must be made using the striking-through and correction method.
- A ship with incomplete details or with a defaced engine block number must not be registered unless there is:
- a clearance from a competent authority, or
- proof of ownership of the engine.
Reissuance rules and CPR validity
- A new CPR and/or CO must be re-issued when any of the following occur:
- lost or damaged certificates
- change of ownership
- change of homeport
- change of engine
- change of ship’s name
- change of business name and/or company address
- change of ship’s particulars
- change of trading area
- change of type of ship
- no more space for annotation of mortgage
- corrections of entries in CPR/CO
- ship alteration
- The buyer/transferee must secure a new CPR/CO within fifteen (15) days from approval by MARINA of the sale/transfer of ownership, subject to the reissuance conditions.
- For judicial sale/award, the buyer/awardee must secure a new CPR/CO within fifteen (15) days from favorable endorsement by MARINA.
- When transfer results in a change of homeport, the buyer/transferee must instead secure clearance to change homeport from the current homeport, and upon grant, file the application for issuance of new CPR/CO in the new homeport.
- If the buyer/transferee is a foreign national, the seller/transferor must, within fifteen (15) days from the transfer, cause deletion from the Register under the Circular’s deletion rules.
- A homeport may be changed in these cases:
- change in ports of call or areas of operation; or
- change of owner, operator, or manager where the principal office or branch is located in another port/place.
- A homeport change application must be filed with the MARINA office where the ship is currently homeported, and MARINA must issue clearance.
- No clearance for change of homeport must be issued if:
- the company/owner has no branch office in the intended homeport; or
- there is an outstanding safety requirement/recommendation the ship must comply with prior to issuance of statutory certificates; or
- there is an unsettled obligation from violation of MARINA rules and regulations and non-payment of tonnage fees.
- Upon approval of a change of homeport, the current homeport MARINA office must transmit all records on registration/documentation/safety certification to the MARINA office in the new homeport.
- Every approved change of homeport requires issuance of a new CPR/CO.
- For change of ship’s name, the application must be filed with the MARINA office where the ship is registered, and name assignment must comply with the naming approval requirement; every approved change requires issuance of a new CPR/CO.
- If a registered ship is altered so it no longer corresponds with its registered tonnage or dimensions, the shipowner/operator must file an application to register the alteration or direct that the ship be registered anew.
- To register an alteration, CPR and CO must be submitted to the MARINA office where the ship is registered for issuance of the new CPR and CO with a description of the ship as altered.
- The particulars of alteration must be entered in the Register by the MARINA office where the ship is registered.
- Re-registration of a ship previously deleted must be done by filing an application for re-registration supported by required documents, and it requires submission of the Certificate of Deletion (CD) for subsequent issuance of a new CO and CPR.
- Any rights affecting the ship or ownership must be registered in the Book of Transfer and Encumbrances provided the same is annotated in the CPR.
Deletion from registry requirements and instances
- Ships registered under the Philippine flag must be deleted under any of these circumstances:
- exportation due to sale to a foreign entity
- expiration of CPR of a bareboat chartered ship
- ship breaking/scrapping/decommissioning
- total loss as stipulated in a Marine Protest/Report
- non-operational for five (5) years for WHS, PWC, submarines, amphibians and similar type of ships under the class of miscellaneous ships
- when MARINA revokes approval of the charter/lease contract for a cause, after due process
- when MARINA, after due process, orders deletion of any ship found to have violated government rules and regulation
- MARINA must issue a Certificate of Deletion indicating the reason for deletion upon submission of and compliance with all required documents under the documentary requirements on deletion.
Documentary requirements for registration, deletion, re-registration
For registration and issuance of CPR/CO, the following document sets are required:
A.1 Ships acquired through Local Construction/Alteration/Vessel Conversion:
- Letter Application/Request
- Proof of identity of the owner:
- For Single Proprietorship: DTI Certificate of Registration of Business Name
- For Partnership and Corporation: SEC Certificate of Registration
- For Cooperatives: CDA Certificate of Accreditation
- For MARINA Accredited Entities: Certificate of Accreditation is sufficient
- Certificate of Construction
- Tonnage Measurement Certificate
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
A.1.b Ships acquired through New Building/Second Hand, Imported vessel:
- Letter Application/Request
- Proof of identity of the owner (DTI/SEC/CDA or MARINA accredited entity accreditation as applicable)
- Approval of Acquisition (Importation)
- Clearance for Registration
- Tonnage Measurement Certificate (must be reissued by MARINA)
- Authorization issued to Classification Society (for newbuilding)
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
A.1.c Ships acquired through bareboat charter under PD 760, as amended:
- Letter Application/Request
- Proof of identity of the owner (DTI/SEC/CDA or MARINA accredited entity accreditation as applicable)
- Approval of Acquisition (Bareboat Charter)
- Clearance for Registration
- Tonnage Measurement Certificate
- IMO Number (if applicable)
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
A.2 Re-issuance of CPR and/or CO requires documentary sets depending on the reason:
a. Lost/damaged certificates:
- Letter Application/Request
- Affidavit of Loss (duly notarized)
- Affidavit of Non-encumbrance (duly notarized)
- Police Report
- Certification issued by Barangay Council Chairman
- Proof of Publication of Lost in a newspaper of national circulation (for ship with coastwise trading)
- Certification of Publication issued by Barangay (for ship with Bay and River trading)
- Authority to file application (authorized representative) with MARINA (Board Resolution/Secretary’s Certificate/Power of Attorney)
- MLAO/concerned MRO Clearance
- Damaged/Photocopy of CPR/CO
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
b. Change of Ownership:
- Letter of Application/Request
- Deed of Sale (duly notarized)
- Approval of Local Sale or Transfer of Ownership ship:
- For ship with CPC: Decision issued by the Administration
- For ship without CPC: Clearance issued by SD-DSO
- For mortgaged ship: Certificate of Release of Mortgage or Certification of no Objection from the Bank
- Ship under levy: Court Order
- Ship auctioned by Bureau of Customs: Notice of Award
- Ship auctioned by National Labor Relations Commission: Notice of Award
- Ship confiscated by government agencies: Court Order
- Proof of Publication of Sale in newspaper of national circulation
- Original CPR/CO
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
- If there is corresponding change of homeport: clearance issued by current homeport
c. Change of Homeport:
- Letter of Application/Request
- Original CPR
- Clearance of Change of Homeport
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
d. Change of Engine:
- Letter of Application/Request
- Original CPR/CO
- Tonnage Measurement Certificate
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
e. Change of Name:
- Letter of Application/Request
- MLAO/concerned MRO Clearance
- Clearances for Change of Vessel Name
- Proof of Publication of Change of Name in newspaper of national circulation, with posting/publication rules based on size and operation:
- For ships 15GT and above engaged in coastwise operation: publish once in a newspaper of national circulation
- For ships 15GT and above engaged in ferry operation: publish in a newspaper of regional/local circulation
- For ships below 15GT: post a notice to the public in the ports of call
- Original CPR/CO
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
f. Change of Business Name and/or Company’s Address:
- Letter of Application/Request
- Original CPR/CO
- Copy of MARINA Accreditation/Tonnage Measurement Certificate
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
g. Change of Ship’s Particulars/Trading Area/Service Type:
- Letter of Application/Request
- Original CPR/CO
- Tonnage Measurement Certificate
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
B. Deletion documentary requirements are as follows:
1. For bareboat chartered ships under Item A.1 and A.2 (preceding Section VI):
- Letter Application/Request
- Original CPR/CO
- Clearance from DSO for deletion of the ship
- Clearance from DSO/concerned MRO (Annual Tonnage Fees)
- Clearance from MLAO/concerned MRO (no pending case and no unpaid fines and penalties)
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
2. Shipbreaking/Scrapping/Decommissioning:
- Letter Application/Request
- Original CPR/CO and other trading/safety certificates
- MOA between MARINA accredited ship breaker and the ship owner
- Clearance for shipbreaking from SRO/concerned MRO
- Certificate issued by ship breaker if ship breaking already done
- Consent/release of all holders of mortgages duly registered by the Administration, if any
- Clearance from DSO/concerned MRO (Annual Tonnage Fee)
- Clearance from MLAO/concerned MRO (no pending case and no unpaid fines and penalties)
- Notarized Board Resolution / Secretary’s Certificate authorizing filing and designating the representative
3. Actual or constructive or total loss:
- Letter Application/Request
- Duly notarized Marine Protest or report of incident or loss of the ship
- Official report from the Administration or maritime authorities of other countries; or
- Declaration by a competent accredited surveyor/Philippine Coast Guard on the fact of loss; or
- Certification from Local Barangay Chairman for less than 15 GT and wooden hulled ships
- Clearance from MARINA Enforcement Office (EO) in relation to paragraph 3.d to paragraph 3.e
4. Non-operational for five (5) years for the specified types under the class of yacht/miscellaneous ships:
- Result of verification from Maritime Information System Office (MISO) that the ship has not renewed its trading and safety certificates for five (5) consecutive years
- Clearance for Deletion from SRO, FO, MSO, and concerned MRO
- Proof of Notice issued to company/owner
- Proof of Notice issued to local Barangay, if applicable
C. Re-registration requires:
- Original Mutual Rescission of Contract executed by Seller and Buyer, duly notarized in the country where signed, and authenticated by the Philippine Embassy in that country
- Board Resolution or Power of Attorney authorizing as signatory to the Mutual Rescission of Contract for and in behalf of the company, duly notarized and authenticated by the Philippine Embassy within thirty (30) days from the date of re-issuance of the CO and CPR
- Original Certificate of Deletion from the Philippine Registry
- Other documents/requirements prior to re-registration, with documentary requirements in Item VII applies to re-registration
Shipowner/operator responsibilities
- The shipowner/operator must ensure that appropriate required taxes are paid on their due dates.
- The shipowner/operator must secure the various licenses, safety certificates, and franchises as applicable and appropriate for each ship.
- The shipowner/operator must ensure timely renewal of licenses, safety certificates, and franchises prior to expiration, and must pay corresponding penalty and surcharge in case of late renewal.
- The shipowner/operator must undertake all other obligations stated in the provisions of appropriate certificates, licenses, and franchise.
- The shipowner/operator must pay the Annual Tonnage Fee (ATF) based on the total gross tonnage operated fleet.
Fees for CPR and CO issuance
- CPR issuance fees:
- 3 GT and below: P300.00
- 3.01 GT to 14.99 GT: P600.00 + P3.00/GT
- 15 GT to 34.99 GT: P900.00 + P3.00/GT
- 35 GT to 99.99 GT: P1,200.00 + P3.00/GT
- 100 GT to 224.99 GT: P1,500.00 + P3.00/GT
- 250 GT to 499.99 GT: P1,800.00 + P3.00/GT
- 500 GT and above: P2,100.00 + P3.00/GT
- CO issuance fees:
- 3 GT and below: P300.00
- 3.01 GT to 14.99 GT: P600.00 + P3.00/GT
- 15 GT to 34.99 GT: P900.00 + P3.00/GT
- 35 GT to 99.99 GT: P1,200.00 + P3.00/GT
- 100 GT to 224.99 GT: P1,500.00 + P3.00/GT
- 250 GT to 499.99 GT: P1,800.00 + P3.00/GT
- 500 GT and above: P2,100.00 + P3.00/GT
- Additional charges:
- For newly-built builder’s/construction certificate: P470.00
- For newly-purchased (local) deed of sale: P470.00
- Change of ownership:
- Ships 35 GT and above: P1,300.00
- Ships below 35 GT: P650.00
- Change of vessel name (optional):
- Steel-hulled ships: P2,600.00
- Aluminum/Fiberglass/combinations or any other type of hull: P2,600.00
- Wooden-hulled ships:
- Ships 35 GT and above: P650.00