THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will grant emergency permits to allow shipowners to remove their vessels that have been stranded inland in Tacloban City and Guiuan, Eastern Samar, for almost two months now.
The owners of the ships may tow or salvage their vessels without having to undergo the permit process that would normally take three months, said Lt. J. G. Paul Gonzales, PCG chief in Eastern Visayas, on Saturday.
Gonzales said that under the normal process, owners of the vessels would have had to comply with the following requirements: accreditation of the salvaging company by the Coast Guard; proof that both the shipowner and the salvaging firm have the means to undertake salvaging operations like the right equipment, vessels and divers; and a plan approved by the Coast Guard.
15 vessels
Gonzales said, however, that they would do away with these requirements to help in the rehabilitation of Tacloban City and Guiuan, which were devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) on Nov. 8.
“If we do not right away remove these ships, they will remind the people of the tragic event. The permits could just be complied with later,” Gonzales said.
Yolanda washed inland 15 commercial vessels—10 in Tacloban and five in Guiuan. Two government vessels were also washed inland in Tacloban City.