The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has issued guidelines on accreditation of port service providers to ensure only those qualified can render services at ports under its jurisdiction.
PPA Administrative Order (AO) No. 10-2018, signed by PPA general manager Atty. Jay Daniel Santiago, applies to all parties seeking accreditation from PPA to provide port services at ports, whether government or private, under the jurisdiction of the ports authority.
AO 10-2018 took effect on October 12.
To qualify, a port service provider must be a duly recognized/registered entity and must have complied with all documentary requirements and standards set forth in these guidelines and as may be required by PPA from time to time under promulgated rules and regulations.
The AO noted bthat accreditation, while required in selecting service providers at PPA ports and PPA-registered private ports, shall not be construed as a guarantee of the appointment, employment, or award of any contract or permit.
With regard to PPA-registered private ports, the private owner or operator may be required to comply with other qualifications and requirements, apart from accreditation from PPA pursuant to AO 10-2018.
All applicants must not have any incorporator, organizer, stockholder, member of the board of directors, trustee, officer, or key personnel related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity, or affinity to any member of the board of directors, officer, or any regular employee of PPA.
The applicant must also not have any outstanding account with PPA, and must not have any incorporator, organizer, stockholder, member of the board of directors, trustee, officer, or key personnel with a derogatory record with PPA, any court, tribunal, or other quasi-judicial agency, or any other government agency.
Lastly, the applicant must have been engaged in port service for no less than two years immediately prior to the application date.
All accredited service providers shall be included in PPA’s registry of accredited service providers nationwide.
To ensure port services at PPA ports are rendered efficiently and continuously by qualified service providers, all accreditations shall be renewed after three years reckoned from the date the PPA general manager approved the application for accreditation. To renew, the port service provider shall submit for evaluation updated documents and additional documents as may be determined by PPA, and pay the corresponding fees.
Applications for accreditation with any misinterpretation or submission of fraudulent document to support the application, as well as violation of or noncompliance with the terms and conditions may be a ground for revocation of the accreditation. The discredited service provider shall be excluded from PPA’s registry of accredited service providers and shall become ineligible to renew or reapply for accreditation.
Any of the rules and regulations issued or promulgated by PPA that are not covered by AO 10-2018, including those that may be issued after AO 10-2018 takes effect, but that are deemed by PPA to be pertinent in ensuring effective provision of services at ports shall be applied and implemented accordingly.
AO 10-2018 is pursuant to PPA Board Resolution No. 2714 and relevant sections of Presidential Decree No. 857, which created the PPA. – Roumina Pablo
