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(NAR) VOL. IV NO. 1 / JANUARY - APRIL 1993

[ NTC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 4-2-92, February 07, 1992 ]

AMENDMENTS TO THE 1974 SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA CONVENTION (M.C. NO. 02-2-82) CONCERNING RADIO COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE GLOBAL MARITIME DISTRESS AND SAFETY SYSTEM



Pursuant to the provisions of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended, concerning radio communications for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, the following guidelines and procedures shall be strictly observed by all Philippine registered vessels engaged in the international trade.

I
Definitions

1.      Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate — a safety radio certificate shall be issued after inspection to a cargo vessel with radio installation, which complies with the requirements of the SOLAS Convention, as amended.

2.      Exemption Certificate — this certificate shall be issued, after inspection to a cargo vessel engaged on a voyage where the maximum distance of the ship from the shore, the length of the voyage, the absence of general navigational hazards, and other conditions affecting safety are such as to render the full application of the regulation become unreasonable.

3.      Classification Society — an international organization, company or corporation established to facilitate effective functioning of the marine issuance system and to safeguard life and property at sea by undertaking inspection of ships and offshore structures.

4.      Ship Radio Station License — is a certificate or written authority issued by the NTC to a person, firm, company, association, or corporation authorizing the holder thereof to operate during the period specified in said authorization a mobile station in the maritime mobile service located on board a vessel.

5.      Ship Earth Station License — is a certificate or written authority issued by NTC to a person, firm, company, association, or corporation authorizing the holder thereof to operate during the period specified in said authorization a mobile station in the maritime mobile satellite service located on board vessel.

6.      NTC or Commission — refers to the National Telecommunications Commission.

7.      Digital Selective Calling (DSC) — is a radio communication technique using digital codes which enables a radio station to establish contact with, and transfer information to, another station or group of stations.

8.      INMARSAT — the organization established by the Convention on the International Maritime Satellite Organization adopted on 3 September 1976.

9.      NAVTEX — is an international automated direct printing service for promulgation of navigational and meteorological warnings, meteorological forecasts and other urgent safety related messages broadcasts to ships using the English language on 518 Khz.

10.    Sea Area A1 — an area within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one (1) shore-based VHF coast station (20-30 miles) in which continuous DSC alerting is available.

11.    Sea Area A2 — an area excluding Sea Area A1, within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one (1) shore-based MF coast station (30-100 miles) in which continuous DSC alerting is available.

12.    Sea Area A3 — an area excluding sea areas A1 and A2, within the coverage of an INMARSAT geostationary satellite in which continuous alerting is available (Approx. between 70 degrees North and 70 degrees South).

13.    Sea Area A4 — The remaining sea areas outside areas A1, A2 and A3.

II
Issuance of Cargo Ship Safety
Radio Certificate

A.      General Procedures

1.      Any applicant desiring to obtain a Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate for his vessel engaged in the international trade shall file in the prescribed application form with the main office of NTC at Quezon City.

2.      The Commission may issue a Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate as applied for, after inspection of the radio installation which complies with the requirements of the SOLAS Convention, as amended.

3.      The inspection of the radio installation of a cargo vessel located in any Philippine port shall be performed by any duly authorized representative of NTC.  However, when the vessel is located in a foreign port, the NTC may authorize a classification society or request the administration of the said foreign port to perform the inspection and issue if warranted, the certificate applied for in behalf of the Philippine Government.

4.      The following organizations with offices in Metro Manila are recognized by NTC to conduct inspection of radio installation on board Philippine registered vessels.

a.    American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) of the United States;

b.    Lloyd’s Register of Shipping of the United Kingdom;

c.    Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK) of Japan;

d.    Bureau Veritas (BV) of France; and

e.    Det Norske Veritas of  Norway

5.      A classification society or the administration concerned may be authorized by NTC to conduct an inspection of the radio installation on board Philippine registered vessel and issue if warranted, a safety radio certificate in behalf of the Philippine Government subject to the following conditions:
  1. The initial inspection of the ship station on board a Philippine registered vessel located in a foreign port shall be conducted by the society or the administration concerned only upon receipt of authorization from the Commission at the request of the ship owner;

  2. The periodical inspection of the radio installation on board a Philippine registered vessel shall be conducted by the concerned society or administration upon request of the ship owner;

  3. The society or the administration concerned shall furnish the Commission a copy of the SRC issued together with the technical inspection report, preferably on prescribed NTC form within ten (10) days from the date of inspection;
6.      The NTC reserves the right to suspend or terminate, if necessary the recognition or authority issued to a classification society provided, that the said society will be notified accordingly thirty (30) days in advance.

B. General Requirements

a.      For vessel located in a Philippine port:
  1. Properly accomplished application for SRC;

  2. Copy of a valid ship radio station license or properly, accomplished application thereof;

  3. Certificate of registration from the Philippine Coast Guard; and

  4. Proof of sea areas in which ship is certified to operate.
b.      For vessel located in a foreign port:
  1. Copy of the MARINA approval for acquisition of the vessel;

  2. Letter request for authority to allow a classification society to inspect the radio installation and issue the SRC if warranted; and

  3. Letter of request for Temporary Permit to operate the existing radio installation on board vessel and the assignment of a Philippine call sign therefor.
NOTE: The shipowner shall comply with all other NTC requirements for the issuance of the Ship Radio Station License within the effectivity period of the Temporary Permit.  The Ship Radio Station License shall be issued with effectivity period not exceeding with that of the Safety Radio Certificate.

C. Issued Certificate by a Classification Society or another Contracting Government.

A certificate issued by any NTC recognized classification society or another contracting government shall have the same force and receive the same recognition as a certificate issued by NTC.

D. Duration and Validity of Safety Radio Certificate and Exemption Certificate

1.    The Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate and Exemption Certificate shall be issued for a period not exceeding 12 months or 1 year.

2.    If a survey/inspection takes place within two months before the expiration of a certificate, said certificate may be withdrawn and a new certificate may be issued which shall expire 12 months after the end of the withdrawn certificate.

3.    A certificate shall cease to be valid upon transfer of the ship to the flag of another government.

E. Ship Equipment Carriage Requirements

1.      Ship Engaged on Voyages Exclusively on Sea Area A1 (Reg. 7 and 8, Chapter IV, SOLAS 1988)
  1. VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving on voice and DSC communications.

  2. VHF radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSC watch on VHF Channel 70 which may be separate from, or combined with that required in subparagraph a.

  3. A receiver capable of receiving international NAVTEX.

  4. Satellite or VHF Emergency Position - Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)

  5. Radar transponder capable of operating in the 9Ghz Band

  6. Portable VHF transceiver
2.      Ship Engaged on Voyages Exclusively on Sea Area A2 (Regulation 7 and 9, Chapter IV, SOLAS 1988)
  1. VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving voice on voice and DSC communications.

  2. VHF radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSC watch on VHF channel 70 which may be separate from, or combined with that required in subparagraph a.

  3. A receiver capable of receiving international NAVTEX.

  4. Satellite EPIRB or HF radio station using DSC

  5. Radar transponder capable of operating in the 9 Ghz band

  6. Portable VHF transceiver

  7. MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving voice and DSC communications.

  8. MF radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSC watch on the frequency 2187.5Khz, which may be separate from, or combined with that required in subparagraph g.
3.      Ship Engaged on Voyages Exclusively on Sea Area A3 (Regulation 7 and 10, Chapter IV, SOLAS 1988)
  1. VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving on voice and DSC communications.

  2. VHF radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous watch on VHF channel 70 which may be separate from, or combined with that required in subparagraph a.

  3. A receiver capable of receiving international NAVTEX.

  4. Satellite EPIRB or HF using DSC.

  5. Radar transponder capable of operating in the 9 Ghs Band.

  6. VHF portable transceiver.

  7. INMARSAT Ship Earth Station or MF/HF radio station capable of transmitting and receiving on voice, DSC and direct printing communications.
4.      Ship Engaged on Voyages Exclusively on Sea Area A4 (Regulation 7 and 11, Chapter IV, SOLAS 1988)
  1. VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving and receiving on voice and DSC communications.

  2. VHF radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous watch on VHF channel 70 which may be separate from, or combined with that required in subparagraph a.

  3. A receiver capable of receiving international NAVTEX.

  4. Radar transponder capable of operating in the 9 GHz Band.

  5. VHF portable transceiver

  6. MF/HF radio station capable of transmitting and receiving on voice, DSC and direct printing telegraphy.

  7. Satellite EPIRB.

  8. INMARSAT Ship Earth Station
F. Maintenance Requirements

1.      Ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A1 and A2, the availability of the functional requirements of radio equipment shall be ensured by using at least one method such as duplication of equipment, shore-based maintenance, and on-board electronic maintenance capability.

2.      Ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A3 and A4, the availability of the functional requirements of radio equipment shall be ensured by using at least two method such as duplication of equipment, shore-based maintenance, and on-board electronic maintenance capability.

III
Additional Provisions

Pursuant to Section 10, Act 3846, as amended, all relevant provisions of the 1988 SOLAS Convention and other radio regulations affecting marine telecommunications, are hereby made a part of this Circular subject to strict compliance by all concerned.

IV
Penalties

Willful violations of any provisions of this Circular shall be subject to the penal provisions of Act 3846, as amended.

V
Effectivity

This Circular shall take effect immediately upon approval and it supersedes any order, circular, or instruction or part thereof which is inconsistent herewith.

Adopted: 7 Feb. 1992

(Sgd.) MARIANO E. BENEDICTO II
Commissioner
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