US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said Thursday the US Embassy in Manila is looking at long-term measures to help prevent sea tragedies in the Philippines such as the deployment of US Coast Guard personnel in Manila that would help train the maritime industry on maritime safety issues.

“One of the things that we are thinking about is on the longer term,” Kenney said, adding that they have been talking with the US Coast Guard for possible assistance to the Philippines on maritime safety.

“We have been talking to the US Coast Guard about stationing a Coast Guard expert at our Embassy to commend the effort of Philippine companies and authorities on ferry safety issues and help them think about prevention,” she added.

The US envoy admitted that “there is very little that all of us can do” in a tragedy, but the best way to prevent tragedies is to provide long-term solutions.

“In terms of thinking ahead, you can look at passenger safety and things like that,” she said.

Kenney said they do not have standby water retrieval facilities to help the Philippine government during sea mishaps like what happened this month. “It is not something our government does, we don’t have that kind of facility. It’s not one of the things that we could be helpful with,” she said.

It will be recalled that on Christmas Eve, the wooden-hulled passenger vessel MV Catalyn B, owned by San Nicolas Shipping Lines, collided with the steel-hulled fishing vessel FV Anatalia off Limbones Island in Cavite. The passenger vessel was on its way to Lubang Island in Mindoro while the fishing vessel was on its way to the Navotas Shipping Port.

On Dec. 26, M/V Baleno 9 sank near Verde Island in Batangas on its way to Calapan, Oriental Mindoro.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier disclosed that for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, the US government will be providing $135.1 million in grant assistance to the Philippines, including development and security aid.

The DFA said the 2010 grant assistance is higher than the $118.7 million earlier requested by the Obama administration. It also represents an increase of 13 percent from the FY 2009’s appropriated budget of $119.7 million.

The combined Development Assistance and Economic Support Fund was increased to $70.3 million from $60 million in FY 2009. Foreign Military Financing was also increased to $32 million from $15 million over the same period.