Twenty five ports in Philippines not yet ISPS compliance

According to the Philippines? Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), twenty-five of the country?s 120 major ports have yet to comply with the new International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code that was implemented on 1 July.

The country?s trade secretary said that the remaining non-compliant seaports and shipping lines would have to speed up work to meet the new ISPS code otherwise the country would face sanctions from IMO and other contracting governments. “We do not want these non-compliant facilities to be the reason for the failure or delay in the delivery of our export commitments to our trading partners. The country?s credential as a reliable supplier of export goods is at stake,” the trade secretary stressed.

He pointed out that seaports and shipping lines that are not ISPS-compliant could face sanctions, and shipments from that port or vessel could be refused entry, particularly in the United States. As of 16 July, 95 of the country?s 120 ports have been issued with a statement of compliance, while 96% or 164 of the 171 Philippine registered ships plying international routes have been given international ship security certificates. The DTI vowed to continue to coordinate with government agencies involved in implementing the ISPS code to ensure that exporters would have a safe and reliable environment to conduct their business, and at the same time prevent shipping facilities from being used for terrorist activities.