The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is considering a new circular aimed at preventing a recurrence of the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 sinking and enhancing overall safety standards within the maritime industry.
“We will issue a department order or circular to make sure that an incident like this will never happen again or minimize,” DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.
“We are not just addressing the issue of Aleson but also addressing gaps in maritime regulation, enforcement, and policy,” he said.
Lopez’s statement follows the tragic sinking of the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 while en route to Jolo, Sulu, from Zamboanga City. The incident left 18 people dead and 10 others missing—including the ship’s captain, eight crew members, and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) marshal—while 316 others were rescued.
Lopez ordered the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to ground the entire fleet of Aleson Shipping Lines.
“If we are clear on what the policy should be, we can be more helpful in passenger safety,” Lopez said.
“We will fix it. We have to be proactive on matters like this, not reactive,” he said.
Lopez also directed MARINA to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the domestic shipping industry.
Vessel registration
Data from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) revealed that the number of accredited domestic shipping enterprises decreased 18.9 percent from 222 in 2023 to 180 in 2024.
“This drop may indicate challenges in maintaining accreditation compliance under amended rules, particularly for smaller or transitioning operators,” MARINA said.
“The decline suggests a need to assess support mechanisms and streamline processes to sustain participation and regulatory alignment within this category,” it said.
While corporations remain the majority of accredited entities, they saw a 16.67-percent decrease (from 138 to 115). Single proprietorships dropped by 20.99 percent (from 81 to 64), while cooperatives remained constant with only one accredited entity.
As of year-end 2024, the total number of registered domestic vessels rose from 19,241 to 22,640, a 17.67 percent growth. The most significant increases were seen in fishing vessels: 7,073 to 8,222; recreational vessels: 4,490 to 5,714 and passenger vessels: 3,909 to 4,489.
Conversely, cargo vessels saw a slight decline, moving from 2,312 to 2,229.
Maritime incidents
Operational challenges persisted in 2024, with 44 reported cases of engine trouble or mechanical failure. Navigational incidents—including ramming, collisions, and allisions—have increased significantly from 6 cases in 2020 to 28 in 2024.
Total incidents peaked at 253 in both 2021 and 2024. These spikes coincided with major weather events, specifically Typhoon Odette (2021) and Typhoon Carina (2024), highlighting the impact of external environmental factors on maritime safety.
The 2024 report also noted a sharp rise in “serious” marine incidents, which jumped from 132 in 2023 to 202 in 2024—the highest in five years.
While “very serious” incidents decreased slightly (from 26 to 21) and “less serious” incidents remained low at 30, the surge in serious cases underscores an urgent need for stricter enforcement and more robust preventive strategies.
Casualty figures
MARINA data also showed that the number of human casualties per type of service from 2022 to 2024. In 2023, passenger vessels had the highest number of casualties at 65, which significantly dropped to 3 in 2024.
As this type of vessel is explicitly designed to carry a large number of people, the risk of human casualties during marine accidents is relatively high.
About 92 percent of the 65 fatalities in 2023 were the result of just two separate accidents involving two passenger ships. Despite the sharp rise in 2023, the significant decrease in 2024 highlights a variable trend and may reflect improved safety measures, better preparedness, or fewer major incidents involving passenger vessels.
On the other hand, fishing vessels consistently reported casualties throughout the three-year period, with 12 in 2022, 10 in 2023, and 6 in 2024, showing a gradual decline.
“This shift suggests an area that may need closer attention in terms of safety monitoring and crew training,” MARINA said.
Overall, total human casualties dropped from 82 in 2023 to 23 in 2024, reflecting a positive trend in maritime safety despite the ongoing need to minimize risks across all vessel categories,” it said.
