Shipping firms urged to invest in cleanliness

CEBU, Philippines - Shipping companies should invest big on making their ships clean. This was emphasized yesterday during the Cleanest Vessel of the year awarding of the Bureau of Quarantine 7.

Bureau of Quarantine Regional Director Emmanuel Labella said that one of the things that passengers of ships are attracted to, aside from the assurance of safety is the cleanliness of the vessels.

Labella said that this is why they keep on encouraging shipping companies to make it to a point to have high standards on the cleanliness of their ships.

He said that aside from the other requirements like the clean water and the proper service, they make it to the point that the ships are practicing proper hygiene.

Atty. Glenn Cabañez, the regional director for the Maritime Industry Authority said that there are still some ships though that have not leveled to their expectation in terms of cleanliness but they are hopeful that this would be worked on.

He said that they are encouraging the shipping companies to surpass the minimum requirement and go over what is in order to acquire world-class service.

Dr. Cora Lou Kintanar, chief for the local health assistance said that they are fully supporting the efforts of BOQ and the other agencies that help maintain safety and cleanliness in the ships.

Kintanar said that aside from the benefits this has for the passengers, this would have a great effect in the tourism of the region.

She said that it would attract more travelers and is a good addition to efforts in playing in a highly competitive market.

Chester Cokaliong, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Cokaliong Shipping Lines Incorporated who won two of the first prize awards in different categories and has been a constant awardee of the BOQ, said that they ensuring the cleanliness of their ships means they need to make big investments since the equipments needed to clean all their ships could be very expensive.

He said that for the paint alone which they need to redo every once in a while costs them a lot of money but then it is worth it since they have good feedback from their customers and this is one of the reasons that their passengers patronize their ships.

CSLI won the cleanest ship for the Cargo-passenger vessel category with their MV Filipinas Cebu. It was followed by MV Cebu Ferry of the Cebu ferries Corporation and the MV Trans Asia 3 of the Trans Asia Shipping Lines.

MV Filipinas Dumaguete of CSLI also won 1st place for the Big ferry category while second and third place went to MV San Ramon de Bohol of Lite shipping Corporation and MV Georich of George and Peter Lines respectively.

Aboitiz Transport System bagged all three prizes in the Luxury Vessel category with Superferry 12 for the first prize, MV Superferry 5 for the second prize and third prize for the MV Superferry 2.

Super Cat 32 of Super Cat Fast Ferries Seacrafts Inc. won first for Fast craft category. Second went to Weesam 7 of SRN Fast Seacrafts and third to Super Cat 30 of SCFFC.

First prize of the Small Ferry Category went to MV Our lady of the Barangay of Lite Shipping Corp. and third to MV Beautiful stars of Roble Shipping while first place for the Cargo Vessel category went to MV Don Alfonso Sr. of Gothong Southern Shipping Lines. Second was MV Sulpicio Express Siete of Sulpicio Lines Inc. and MV Trans Asia Pacific of Tran Asia Shipping Lines Inc.

Special individual awards also went to ship health officers of different ships. The Physician of the year went to Dr. Reynaldo Soria of MV Super Ferry 12 from Aboitiz Transport System, Nurse of the year was awarded to Jocky Lorenzo of MV Our Lady of Mt. Carmel of Cebu Ferries Corporation.

The Chief Steward award was given to Jonas Leceña of MV Cebu ferry 1 of Cebu Ferries Corporation while the Vessel manager of the year award went to Christopher de los Reyes of MV Super Ferry from the Aboitiz Transport System. The Chief cook category went to Gabriel Mepa of MV Doña Rita of Gothong Southern Shipping Lines. —AJ de la Torre