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Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc. secured a contract to salvage bulk carrier MV Giyas, which ran aground in the vicinity waters off Calandagan Island, Araceli, Palawan last May
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HSSSI will deploy manpower and resources for the temporary patching repairs and cargo discharging operations, after which it will mobilize tugboats for the refloating operations
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HSSSI will use three tugs, one landing craft tank, two barges, and oil spill equipment for the salvage operation, its first for this year
Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc. (HSSSI) secured a contract to salvage bulk carrier MV Giyas, which ran aground in the vicinity waters off Calandagan Island, Araceli, Palawan last May.
HSSSI in a regulatory disclosure on June 4 said it signed a contract with the owner of the bulk carrier for the deployment of manpower and resources for the temporary patching repairs and cargo discharging operations, after which HSSSI will mobilize tugboats for the refloating operations.
HSSSI in a message to PortCalls said it will use three tugs, one landing craft tank, two barges, and oil spill equipment for the salvage operation.
On May 9, 2026, MV Giyas, which was laden with 71,130 metric tons of Indonesian coal, ran aground on a sea mound Queen of the Sea Bank near Araceli, causing damage to its forward bottom hull, and flooding its port and starboard water ballast tanks. Despite the damage to the vessel, no marine pollution was reported, and the vessel remained structurally sound.
This is HSSSI’s first salvage operation for this year.
In 2025, HSSSI’s income from salvage operations reached P124.648 million, a whopping 1,782% higher than the P6.623 million earned in 2024 due to the wreck removal activities related to M/T Terranova, which capsized at the height of typhoon Carina in Limay, Bataan in July 2025.
READ: Harbor Star Shipping profit improves to P40M in Q1 2026
As of December 2025, HSSSI, including its domestic subsidiaries and affiliates, has established operations in 11 base ports all over the country, providing services to approximately 8,686 ships as of year-end 2025.
The company maintains and manages a fleet of 60 vessels consisting of 51 domestically and internationally-classed tugboats; seven barges; one landing craft tank; and one dredger.
HSSSI’s subsidiaries and associates include Harbor Star Subic Corp., Peak Flag Sdn Bhd, Harbor Star Energy Corp., Harbor Star East Asia (Myanmar) Ltd., Harbor Star Construction Company, Kaibuok Star Shipyard Inc., Great Eastern Tug Corp., and Hi-Energy Marine Services Inc.
