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The Maritime Industry Authority has invited shipping operators to consider deploying ships in routes affected by the grounding of Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc.’s passenger fleet to ensure continued provision of sea travel for the riding public
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Shipping operators in Batangas have signified their intent to serve the affected routes
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MARINA has also relaxed the sailing schedules of ships in affected routes to help handle the volume of passengers
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Most affected routes are those from Zamboanga City to the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi
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The Philippine Coast Guard has committed to deploy their sea assets to provide free rides to passengers should there be a critical need for more vessels
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has invited shipping operators to consider deploying ships in routes affected by the grounding of Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc.’s passenger fleet to ensure continued provision of sea travel for the riding public.
MARINA has also relaxed the sailing schedules of ships in affected routes to help handle the volume of passengers, MARINA Enforcement Service director and spokesperson Luisito Delos Santos said in an online media briefing on January 28.
With this, ships can immediately depart once their maximum authorized passenger and/or cargo capacities are attained, allowing them to increase their sailing frequency.
Delos Santos also said there are already shipping operators in Batangas that have signified their intent to serve the affected routes.
The Isabela City Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office also announced that a ferry company headquartered in Luzon announced plans to serve the Zamboanga-Isabela route.
In a separate statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said routes where shipping lines that passed safety regulations will be given special permits to ply are:
- Zamboanga City to Isabela City and Lamitan City in Basilan
- Zamboanga City to Siasi and Jolo in Sulu
- Zamboanga City to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi
- Pulauan, Dapitan City to Dumaguete City
- Dumaguete City to Larena in Siquijor
Should there be a need for more vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has committed to deploy their sea assets to provide free rides to passengers.
DOTr on January 27 ordered the immediate grounding of all passenger vessels operated by Zamboanga City-based Aleson Shipping Lines after its vessel, MV Trisha Kerstin 3, sank on January 26, leaving at least 19 dead and 10 others still missing. Another 316 were rescued.
The roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry was en route to Jolo, Sulu from Zamboanga City when it sank in the waters near Basilan.
The grounding of Aleson Shipping Lines’ passenger fleet was issued in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for a full-blown investigation into the incident.
Acting transportation secretary Giovanni Lopez said the investigation aims to determine the cause of the sinking and identify any possible lapses on the part of both the shipping company and government regulators.
“If we exact accountability from ship owners, we will exact even higher accountability from the government,” he said.
He also directed MARINA, in coordination with PCG, to carry out an audit of Aleson Shipping Lines’ fleet.
Delos Santos said MARINA’s inspectors and auditors have already arrived in Zamboanga on January 27 to conduct the audit.
He said Aleson Shipping Lines has 12 passenger ships, of which six are currently on dry dock, five are non-operational, and the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3.
Aside from this, Delos Santos said Lopez has also directed MARINA to undertake a comprehensive risk-based compliance monitoring and inspection of the country’s entire domestic fleet to establish a formal inventory classifying vessels and operators into high-risk, moderate-risk, and low-risk.
He acknowledged though that it will be a major challenge given MARINA’s limited manpower and with around 16,000 vessels in the country’s fleet, including fishing, cargo, and passengers, and other vessel types.
READ: MARINA eyes hike in penalties for maritime offenses
Delos Santos, meanwhile, said Lopez had also instructed Aleson to streamline the processing in claiming insurance payouts for survivors and families of the casualties. As per policy, survivors are entitled to P50,000 each, while families of casualties get P200,000 per casualty.— Roumina Pablo
