Manila, March 20 -- The Philippine Coast Guard in Bicol (PCG-5) has enforced a strict "no statutory documents and certificates, no sail" policy to boost maritime safety ahead of Holy Week and the summer season.

In a phone interview Friday, PCG-5 Commander Commodore Ivan Roldan said no domestic vessel may sail or operate without valid, duly issued statutory certificates required by maritime laws.

"Since Holy Week and summer season are approaching, we expect many travelers will go home to their provinces, and to ensure public safety, we enforce strict implementation of standardized inspection procedures across all Coast Guard stations and sub-stations through pre-departure inspections (PDI) and vessel safety enforcement inspection (VSEI),...