A photo of the vessel that drifted and rammed into the baywalk area of Naga City due to Tuesday’s strong winds and rain. (PHOTO COURTESY OF NAGA CITY)
Naga gov’t requires shipping firm to pay for damages to baywalk area
The city government of Naga in southern Cebu barred a cargo vessel from leaving after it damaged its baywalk area due to strong winds and rain Tuesday afternoon.
Naga City Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong told reporters yesterday morning that they asked the owner of MV Unilink 2 cargo vessel to pay for the damages on their ongoing construction of their baywalk.
At least 50 concrete posts, which were part of the ongoing construction of the city’s Marina project, were reportedly damaged after the cargo vessel ran aground the seabed there.
City Administrator Engineer Arthur Villamor said the posts comprise part of the P61-million boardwalk of the Marina.
It is included in the city’s 5,000-square-meter seafront reclamation project.
The city government also plans to put up various sports and recreation facilities on the Marina once it is finished.
Chiong said she will not allow the vessel to leave the city until they settle the damages.
A meeting was set at 5 p.m. yesterday in which Chiong met the project contractor and ship captain Michael Zeta to settle damages.
The cargo ship’s safety certificate was also temporarily suspended by the Maritime Industry Authority in Central Visayas (Marina-7) following inspection of the sea worthiness of the vessel.
Lawyer Jose Cabatingan, spokesperson of Marina-7, confirmed this. A copy was also sent to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu Station and was received by Commander Agapito Bibat’s office yesterday morning.
In a phone interview, Bibat said while the vessel’s certification is temporarily suspended, it will not be allowed to set sail.
However, should the Marina-7 lift the suspension, Bibat said the Coast Guard will no longer have grounds to hold the vessel.
The vessel, with 14 crew and five officers and has a gross tonnage of 222.56, is owned by the Unilink Shipping Corp.
It was docked Tuesday afternoon at a docking area in Barangay Poblacion which is located 75 kilometers away from the city’s baywalk area.
Unilink’s office is located at Don Sergio Osmeña St. in this city. As of 3 p.m. yesterday, no marine protest was filed by the ship captain.
Mayor Chiong said the incident served as an eye opener for the city to enact legislation that will impose fines on vessels docked on their city that would be responsible for inflicting damage to coastal resources and infrastructure.
In related news, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) said a fisherman has been missing in Aloguinsan town, southwest Cebu since Tuesday.
PDRRMC information officer Julius Regner said Condrado Parera’s pumpboat was found near the shores yesterday. /With USJ-R Intern Rabboni Borbon