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The Department of Energy is working with the Maritime Industry Authority to craft science-based rules for carrying electric and hybrid vehicles on Philippine vessels
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The move follows Montenegro Shipping Lines’ immediate ban on EVs and hybrids after the fatal MV June Aster fire off Coron in Palawan
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Officials say the goal is uniform safety standards that protect passengers without stalling the growth of electric mobility
The Department of Energy (DOE) said it is coordinating with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to develop specific safety protocols for transporting electric and hybrid vehicles aboard ships, following the deadly fire that struck the MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan earlier this month.
In a statement, the DOE said the joint effort with MARINA aims to establish clear, science-based, and uniform requirements that protect passengers and vessels without unnecessarily restricting the growth of electric mobility in the country.
The department is also taking part in drafting the 2026 Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Fire Code alongside the Bureau of Fire Protection, incorporating measures that address emerging risks tied to EVs and lithium-ion batteries.
DOE officials have acknowledged that current regulations do not explicitly address EV carriage by sea, leaving individual shipping operators to set their own rules in the meantime. Energy Utilization Management Bureau Director Patrick Aquino raised the gap during a recent Senate hearing on the department’s proposed 2027 budget, noting that shipping lines currently lack firm government guidance on the matter.
That gap prompted at least three operators — Montenegro Shipping Lines, Starhorse Shipping Lines, and Island Water — to impose their own restrictions on EVs and hybrid vehicles in the days following the fire, which killed 77 people and left several others missing. Montenegro’s ban, issued in a September 16 memorandum, covers both passenger and cargo vehicles across all its routes.
The cause of the June Aster fire remains under investigation, and authorities have yet to confirm that an EV onboard triggered the blaze. The DOE has said the presence of both an electric vehicle and internal combustion engine vehicles on the vessel means no definitive finding has been reached.
In the meantime, the DOE has described the shipping lines’ precautionary bans as a reasonable step while the joint rulemaking process with MARINA moves forward.
