Section 1December 19, 2008, Sec./Art. 1

Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) "Ship Agent" shall mean the person entrusted with the provisioning or representing the vessel in the port in which it may be found;

(b) "General Agent" shall mean a ship agent appointed by the ship owner or carrier in the liner service for all voyages and covered by a General Agency Agreement whereby the agent assumes the role and responsibility of its principal within the Philippine territory including but not limited to solicitation of cargo and freight, payment of discharging or loading expenses, collection of shipping charges and issuing/releasing bills of lading and cargo manifest;

(c) "Tramp Agent" shall mean a ship agent appointed by the ship owner, charterer or carrier iti the tramp service for one particular voyage whose authority is limited to the customary and usual procedures and formalities required for the facilitation of the vessels entry, stay and departure in the port and does not include the assumption of the ship owners, charterers, or carriers obligations with the shipper or receiver for the goods carried by the ship;

(d) "Tramp Service" shall mean the operation of a contract carrier which has no regular and fixed routes and schedules but accepts cargo wherever and whenever the shipper desires, is hired on a contractual basis, or chartered by any one or few shippers under mutually agreed terms and usually carries bulk or break bulk cargoes; and

(e) "Liner Service" shall mean the operation of a common carrier which publicly offers its services without discrimination to any user, has regular ports of call/destination, fixed sailing schedules and frequencies and published freight rates and attendant charges and usually carries multiple consignments.