Harbor Star shows capability in crisis management

Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc. together with its international partners and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have successfully conducted the first Maritime Crisis Management seminar in the Philippines during the Maritime Week Celebration recently.

Established in the field of maritime services, Harbor Star engages in towage, salvage, deep-sea diving, oil and chemical spill response and diving services.

The seminar, held on September 22 and 23, was designed to inform the shipping industry and the public about the importance of preserving our environment.

Day 1 is a whole day symposium held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza that aims to educate the shipping industry on what to do during a crisis resulting from grounding, collision, fire, explosion, sinking, including oil and chemical spills.

Local and foreign guest speakers discussed the following: Managing Marine Emergencies by Ricardo Rodrigo P. Bella of Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc.; Parties Involved in Casualties by Chandran Mathavan of Titan Maritime (SEA) Pte Ltd.; Role of the Philippine Coast Guard by Commo. Luis Tuason, Jr. of Philippine Coast Guard – MEPCOM; LamorSlickbar’s Response to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill by Andrew M. Crawford of Lamor Corporation; Types of Contract by Paul Apostolis of Holman Fenwick & Willan (Hong Kong); Claims, Insurance and Security by Henson Lim of Richards Hogg Lindley Phils. Inc.; and Maritime Disasters and the Media by Atty. Katrina Legarda.

On day 2, the participants experienced a Search and Rescue/ Marine Pollution Exercise (SARPOL) at the PCG Ready Force, Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila where Harbor Star and the PCG showcased their joint capabilities to respond to maritime accidents.

Harbor Star, on the other hand, has been growing and expanding its fleet of 27 tugboats operating in major ports nationwide including Manila, Batangas, Bataan, Davao, Dumaguete, Mauban, and Cagayan de Oro.

Previously the company worked in the refloating of the ill-fated passenger ship “Superferry 14” in Bataan, the massive oil spill caused by “MT Solar” in Guimaras, and the retrieval of the hazardous chemical endosulfan in the capsized ferry “Princess of the Stars” in Romblon. ?