Port of Surigao upgrades maritime tracking system
SURIGAO CITY - The Port Management Office (PMO) of Surigao made a significant upgrade to its Automatic Identification System (AIS), in partnership with MarineTraffic, a world leader in maritime data analytics.
According to Surigao Port Manager Froilan Caturla the aging AIS transceiver used by the port's terrestrial station has been replaced with a modern Comar SLR450Ni AIS receiver.
“This upgrade replaced the old Furuno FA 30 AIS, which was operational since 2012 but was becoming unreliable due to wear and tear,” Caturla said.
He added that the partnership extended beyond just improving the Port of Surigao's own infrastructure as PMO - Surigao and MarineTraffic also established two new AIS terrestrial stations: one at the Port of San Jose in Dinagat Islands and the other at the Port of Dapa in Siargao Island, bringinging a total of three PMO - Surigao-managed AIS stations that are connected to MarineTraffic's global network.
Caturla further said that the collaboration between PMO - Surigao and MarineTraffic proved to be valuable during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) when restrictions on personnel movement necessitated a heavy reliance on remote monitoring systems.
By utilizing real-time data from MarineTraffic, PMO - Surigao was able to accurately track foreign vessels, calling on private ports within its jurisdiction and ensuring the proper collection of port charges.
This significantly enhanced their monitoring capabilities despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic. (PPA-PMO Surigao/PIA-Surigao)
