DAVAO City Councilor Luna Acosta has filed a resolution urging the 20th Congress to enact a Comprehensive Maritime Safety Law and impose stiffer penalties for violations.
Acosta, chair of the Committee on Peace and Public Safety, said existing maritime laws and regulations enforced by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) are fragmented, overlapping, and confusing.
“With the maritime accidents plaguing the country, it is high time to increase administrative fines, impose criminal penalties, and hold offenders accountable for safety violations and permit non-compliance,” she said Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at the Sanguniang Panlungsod.
“The Philippines is a seafaring nation,” she said, stressing that thousands of passengers and tons of cargo depend daily on water transport for safe travel.
City councilors held an extensive discussion during the 21st City Council session and invited regional officials from MARINA and the Philippine Coast Guard to clarify maritime safety issues. Councilors Ralph Abella and Jopet Baluran initiated the discussion after proposing that boat operators secure clearances from Marina and the PCG before obtaining city business permits.
During the session, Councilor Alberto Ungab questioned the overlapping functions of government agencies, saying that the setup blurs accountability when maritime incidents occur.
“Everybody points to another agency. If you look at the laws, the legislative framework is fragmented. Is anything being done so that overlapping accountability will be eliminated?” Ungab asked.
Agencies welcome move
Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao Commander Commodore Philip Soria welcomed the proposal, saying that stricter local measures could push operators to comply more consistently with safety regulations.
He said that violators often pay fines and return to operations. In cases of repeated violations, the PCG coordinates with Marina so the agency can impose stronger sanctions.
Marina regional director Virvic Paul C. Erese said Circular Memorandum 2024-01, Chapter 11 outlines penalties for maritime violations, including license suspension and revocation. He added that officials approved a revised schedule of fines and penalties in Cebu in January 2026 and will announce it publicly once finalized.
Erese clarified that Marina registers vessels, issues franchises, and monitors compliance before vessels are allowed to sail. The PCG, meanwhile, enforces maritime laws at sea.
Soria said the PCG conducts inspections, ensures passenger safety, protects the marine environment during incidents such as oil spills, and performs deputized functions with agencies like the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“We are law enforcers at sea, implementing various national maritime laws,” Soria said.
The Department of Transportation oversees both MARINA and the Philippine Coast Guard, although the PCG operates as a uniformed armed service.
Recent maritime incidents
Acosta’s resolution comes amid a series of recent maritime accidents.
On January 19, MBCA Amejara capsized in the Davao Gulf after departing Santa Ana Wharf without the required permit and encountering rough seas. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing.
On January 23, the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel M/V Devon Bay capsized near Scarborough Shoal, about 140 nautical miles west of Pangasinan, after technical problems worsened amid rough sea conditions.
Another ferry, MV Trisha Kerstin 3, capsized near Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan province.
On January 25, motorbanca MBCA Vher Marie overturned in Lumban, Laguna, during the Feast of San Sebastian fluvial procession amide PCG presence, underscoring the risks posed by turbulent conditions even in inland waterways.
Authorities continue to investigate the incidents as lawmakers push for stronger maritime safety safeguards nationwide. RGP