A proposed Sea Lanes/ Sailing Guide Routes and Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) for the navigational waters of Macajalar Bay and Camiguin-Balingoan under the jurisdiction of the Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro  (PMO MO/C) was developed as part of the Proposed Philippine Archipelagic Navigation Sea Lanes initiated by the Philippine Coast Guard, which details the areas and routes that the sea lanes would take, identification of areas with heavy maritime traffic, and establishment of a monitoring/reporting system in the entire Philippine archipelago.

The PMO’s proposed sea lanes/sailing guide routes for its area of responsibility (AOR), which was developed in coordination with the Misamis Oriental & Camiguin Harbor Pilots (MOCHP), includes the recommended routes and areas where vessels should take precaution and those that should be avoided. Furthermore, the VTMS is proposed to be used for long-range identification and tracking system to monitor shipping traffic up to 1,000 nautical miles from the coast. This system can also supply information on coastal density and potential risks to the maritime environment and coastal communities.

The PMO MOC submitted the proposal to the PPA Head Office for review and adoption. —IMR Lam