Marina grounds 4 ‘unsafe’ vessels

Marina grounds 4 ‘unsafe’ vessels
Ghio Ong April 12, 2025 https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/04/12/2435333/marina-grounds-4-unsa...

MANILA, Philippines — Amid an expected surge of passengers traveling this Holy Week, four vessels were suspended for not following safety standards, the Maritime Industry Authority reported.

The MARINA, in a statement issued yesterday, said the four ships were part of 10 vessels that were “temporarily suspended due to safety-related deficiencies.”

The other six were “cleared after verification of required corrective actions.”

The suspension of ship operations was part of MARINA’s intensified compliance monitoring, which aims to ensure that all vessels are safe, seaworthy and compliant with maritime regulations, especially amid the expected rise in the number of sea travelers during the Holy Week. The move can also prevent the disruption of travel plans due to last-minute vessel cancellations due to safety violations.

MARINA deployed seven inspection teams to port areas with high passenger traffic. The teams have inspected at least 103 passenger vessels.

“The results of our inspections show that the majority of our operators are compliant. For the few who fell short, swift action was taken to ensure that no unsafe vessel puts lives at risk,” MARINA Administrator Sonia Malaluan said.

The agency did not provide other details such as the types of vessels and their names and operators.