Our deadly seas
An Interferry study described the Philippines as the world’s worst country for ferry fatalities from 1966 to 2015.
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An Interferry study described the Philippines as the world’s worst country for ferry fatalities from 1966 to 2015.
On 9 September, the M/V June Aster left Manila and caught fire as it neared Coron, leaving at least 76 people dead, 43 rescued and 13 still missing as of 12 September. Survivors reported explosions before flames spread rapidly through the vessel, although investigators have not determined the exact cause.
What makes the tragedy more disturbing is that the ship reportedly passed a safety inspection in March and underwent another inspection before departure. Videos circulating online also appeared to show rescuers relying on handheld flashlights while searching the dark waters, raising serious questions about whether the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has sufficient equipment for a major nighttime rescue.
Our seas have carried too many tragedies. In January, the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 sailed from Zamboanga and sank off Basilan, killing at least 64 people, after investigators reported possible overloading and discrepancies in its passenger manifest. In 2008, the M/V Princess of the Stars capsized during typhoon “Frank,” killing or leaving missing about 800 passengers and crew, and, in 1987, the M/V Doña Paz collided with an oil tanker, causing an explosion that claimed over 4,300 lives and making it the worst maritime tragedy.
Not every accident can be eliminated, but the government can prevent certificates from becoming paper shields. Inspections should include the actual weighing of vehicles and cargo, electronic reconciliation of tickets with passenger manifests, testing of fire alarms and suppression equipment, and unannounced evacuation drills. Life jackets must be accessible, crews must prove that they can evacuate passengers, and weather-related sailing decisions must be recorded and independently reviewed.
The numbers are alarming. An Interferry study described the Philippines as the world’s worst country for ferry fatalities from 1966 to 2015. Another study, citing PCG records, counted 4,467 maritime accidents in Philippine waters from 2015 to 2020. Although these figures may not establish the Philippines as the world’s most accident-prone country today, they justify the continuing need for reform.
MARINA Circular 2016-01 requires domestic passenger ships to carry insurance providing P200,000 for each passenger death and up to P50,000 in emergency assistance. This deserves a review since, for land-based public utility vehicles (PUVs), the mandated Passenger Personal Accident Insurance provides double, or P400,000, for each passenger death.
One proposal from the insurance side is to establish a Philippine Maritime Passenger Accident Insurance Pool, following the pooled structure used in developed countries such as India, designed for inter-island passengers. Every ticket may include automatic no-fault coverage, electronically matched with the passenger manifest. Shared reinsurance and one claims portal should spread catastrophic losses and provide assistance without the necessity of first proving the shipowner’s negligence.
The insurance pool is only one part of broader maritime reform. Government must publish investigation findings, enforce recommendations, equip rescuers properly, and hold negligent officials and operators accountable. MARINA, PCG, Congress and shipowners must act before public attention moves on. We should not wait for another sunken vessel before correcting failures we already understand, because delay at sea is measured in lives.
For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com.
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