The sad truth

It is no secret that government has trailed miserably behind private sector initiatives at revolutionizing the shipping industry since fast crafts were introduced in the nineties by the SuperCats of then Universal Aboitiz and Kverner-Fjelsstrand model catamarans of WaterJet Shipping.

In a country where 98 percent of its populace travel by sea, high speed craft changed the rules of sea travel by cutting voyage time by half with these craft running at speeds in excess of 34 knots while at the same time defining comfort in air conditioned cabins and safety with computer-based navigation equipment. As an added safety aspect, these fastcraft operators made it a point to class its vessels with the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). It propelled operators of conventional ships to level up to high speed craft benchmarks to stay competitive.

Now it seems that the trend is on reverse mode, no thanks to a certain government official who single-handedly lowered the fastcraft standards by allowing the entry of "not-so-fast" crafts which were by comparison substandard being non-IACS classed.

Even under the present leadership of administrator Vicente Suazo, the Marina seems to be taking its jolly time in coming up with its promised high-speed craft operation guidelines patterned after International Maritime Organization (IMO) benchmarks.

Bullet Express, one of the so-called fastcraft operators which benefited with the lowering of standards recently brought in two 1979 Japanese built catamarans to augment their fledging fleet of two vessels which service the Bacolod-Iloilo run.

Powered by two Fuji Diesel engines (2,000 hp) each, the recently acquired Bullet Express catamarans are propeller driven but can only attain speeds of up to 22 knots (which is the service speed of the newer passenger ships plying the various domestic routes) and has a 195 passenger seating capacity.

Keen maritime observers have noticed that aside from the fact that the more recent fastcraft acquisitions are much older (IACS classed fastcrafts were built not later than 1990), they are also smaller therefore prone to the oftentimes unpredictable pitch and roll motion of our seas and definitely much slower…yet they are allowed to compete by the Marina with the internationally classed fastcrafts and given the same privileges as if investments (technology and safety) are beyond compare.

Safety has also become an issue as these non-IACS fastcraft operators have been found to be scrimping on maintenance and safety management making their operations suspect.

Meanwhile, according to a passenger who was onboard Sulpicio Lines‚ M/V Princess of the World when it caught fire off the coast of Siocon in Zamboanga City, there was no explosion heard whatsoever before the fire broke out as alleged by some. What was evident was there was the sudden onset of fire from the engine room which spread quickly throughout the vessel.

What’s more, there was not a single crew member or officer of the vessel guiding the passengers to the "boat stations." It was claimed that the crew members were even the first to get into the liferafts leaving the passengers to fend for themselves.

According to the passenger, it was the passengers who were the ones throwing the liferafts to the water. The doughnut type rafts broke upon impact with the water. There were no crew members seen distributing lifejackets. Some passengers even had to jump from the promenade deck to the water which is about a 15-meter drop and once ashore, they were left to fend for themselves, with no shore assistance from Sulpicio Lines management/office.

The Siocon municipality was able to set up some sleeping cots for the survivors, but it was the crew members who occupied the cots.

This, my friends, is that sad state of our shipping industry.

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