The shame of a seafaring nation

TWICE in a single day, on Thursday, we were again reminded how embarrassing the state of the Philippines’ maritime industry is with the tragic sinking of a local ferry near the port of Ormoc, and the loss of a cargo barge off Antique.

The capsizing of the ferry—which is properly referred to as a “motor banca”—resulted in the deaths of 61 people, as of the latest update. Although the cause of the tragedy is not yet known, poor handling by the crew of the MV Kim Nirvana, rough weather, and unsafe modification of the vessel are being looked into as possible culprits. In the barge accident that happened later the same day, bad weather is being blamed for detaching the barge from its moorings during unloading of its cargo of cement, gravel and other materials for the construction of a church in Antique province.