How safe is sea travel?
Issues, concerns and best practice
B(FIRST OF THREE PARTS) eing an archipelago of at least 7,107 islands, trav elling by boat is one of the most popular modes of transport in the country. Boat travel is so popular that the different sea tragedies that claimed the lives of thousands of passengers have not discouraged millions of people to travel by sea.
Add to this the fact that sea travel is also more affordable compared to air travel.
Records show that in 2009, some 13,064,604 people arrived and left Cebu using the different seaports in the province. The number increased in 2010 with 14,959,225 people and in 2011, over 15 million people. Figures for 2012 are not available yet.
Because interisland vessels can accommodate hundreds or even thousands of passengers at one time compared to planes that can only carry about 200 persons, most sea accidents claim more lives.
This is why shipping companies are always reminded by authorities to ensure the safety of their passengers during their voyage by complying with all the safety measures prescribed by the law.
Still, however, sea tragedies happen.
ACCIDENTSAT SEA
The most recent maritime accident that claimed the lives of over a hundred people was the collision between Cebu - bound passenger vessel St. Thomas Aquinas of 2GO Shipping and cargo vessel M/V Sulpicio Express Siete at Lauis Ledge near the south entrance to the Cebu harbor last month.
Cebu Coast Guard Station Commander Weniel Azcuna said many sea accidents were caused by human error, which means that ship officials and crewmen were negligent in the performance of their duty to always ensure the safety of the vessel.
Aside from the human error, there are also sea accidents caused by mechanical failure, or force majeure like bad weather conditions.
When Doña Paz of Sulpicio Lines capsized in 1987 after colliding with oil tanker Vector in the Tablas Strait near Marinduque in Romblon, the overcrowded passenger vessel caught fire and claimed the lives of 4,341 people, including the vessel’s crew.
The number of casualties in the Doña Paz accident was even higher compared to the 1,517 casualties of the RMS Titanic tragedy in 1912.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or Pagasa constantly gives weather condition updates to guide mariners and the public in general. However, there are some mariners who ignore these warnings.
When Pagasa places an area under Signal No. 1, seacrafts below 1,000 gross tons are already prohibited from leaving the ports. Skippers of big vessels are, however, given the prerogative to sail to their respective destinations.
The Princess of the Stars of Sulpicio Shipping Lines capsized off the coast of Romblon during a typhoon in June 21, 2008, killing close to 700 of its passengers, while its sister vessel, Doña Marilyn, sank in Leyte, also because of inclement weather conditions brought by typhoon Unsang on October 24, 2008 claiming the lives of 254 passengers.
Princess of the Orient, also of Sulpicio Lines, capsized in the seawaters off Batangas on October 18, 1998 while sailing from Manila to Cebu killing over 200 people, including Cebuano Court of Appeals (CA) Justice German Lee. Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, who was still a city councilor then, was among the survivors of that tragedy. He was rescued after floating in the cold waters off Batangas for 36 hours with the aid of a ring-type life saving equipment. Labella, in an interview, said the Coast Guard should prevent vessels from leaving the port during bad weather, even if the typhoon is still several miles away to avoid accidents.
“Akong i- suggest nga daghanon g’yud unta sa mga shipping officials ang ilang life rings sa barko kay mosustiner kini og dugay diha sa dagat kon itandi sa mga life jackets,” the vice mayor said recalling his sacrifices. Labella said when the Princess of the Orient started to sink, he was able to grab a life jacket. But hours later, his life jacket had slowly absorbed water and couldn’t keep him afloat anymore. Good thing, he added, he found a life ring floating nearby.
“Tingali ang tawo nga unang nakakuha adtong maong life ring namatay na og ako ‘sab nga nakuha,” he said.
There have been quite a number of other maritime accidents that claimed the lives of hundreds of passengers. These include the sinking of Doña Marilyn somewhere in Tanguingui and Manok-manok Islands while in route to Tacloban City from Manila on October 24, 1988 killing 77.
Another accident that caused the lives of 58 persons was the sinking of M/V Asia South Korea of Trans-Asia Shipping Lines that capsized off Bantayan in northern Cebu in December 23, 1999.
The collision between M/V Cebu City and M/V Kota Suria in Manila Bay last December 2, 1994 claimed the lives of 73 people, while the sinking of Doña Josefina in the seawaters off Isabel, Leyte also claimed the lives of 34 passengers in 1986.
A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM?
Labella believes that one of the possible reasons that contribute to sea accidents is the alterations of the original structural designs of vessels to accommodate more passengers in order to earn more revenues.
The Cebu City legislator is hoping that a congressman or senator will sponsor a bill that would strictly prohibit the alteration of the original structure of vessels when these are purchased second hand from other countries, particularly from Japan.
Most of our vessels are second hand, purchased from abroad. More often, to max-
Because interisland vessels can accommodate hundreds or even thousands of passengers at one time compared to planes that can only carry about 200 persons, most sea accidents claim more lives.
imize passengers, the owners alter the structural designs of the vessels. Most of our vessels are so-called car vessels, but these were altered by adding decks to carry more passengers,” Labella said.
Coast Guard Commander Azcuna admitted that some shipowners altered the original structural designs of their vessels, but he believes that since the improvement has been approved by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), these ships are still safe.
Azcuna explained that MARINA, the government agency task to handle the issuance of franchise to vessels, has naval architects that are capable of evaluating the safety of the new structural designs of a vessel.
Kun imo gud nga pun-an ang deck sa barko mahimong apektado na ang iyang
balance ug usa kini sa posible nga rason nga dali ra’ng malunod ang barko kun adunay bagyo,” Labella stressed.
But Azcuna said, “Mga barko nato are soundly safe because they have certifications from the MARINA whose personnel have the capability to evaluate the structural designs of the vessels and also assess the skills of the vessel’s crewmembers.”
Azcuna, however, emphasized that “the safety of the vessels is the primary responsibility of the shipowners and their ship officials.” (To be continued…) — /QSB