Last Wednesday, a roll-on roll-off passenger/cargo ship, the MV Ciara Joie, left Siquijor for Dumaguete. Just before reaching the Dumaguete port, its engine stalled, causing it to drift close to shore. It sent a distress signal which resulted in the timely rescue of its 52 passengers.
This same ship also stalled some six nautical miles off Siquijor last Dec. 5. It was towed back to shore and, according to news reports, the Maritime Industry Authority had suspended it for a few days.
Last Wednesday’s incident came barely two days after the suspension was lifted.
Our readers may recall our issue last week, where the M/V Georich also stalled shortly after leaving the Dapitan port for Dumaguete City. Also in that instance, all the passengers were rescued.
From these incidents, it appears that boats plying the port of Dumaguete have seen better days. One doesn’t have to ride these boats to know that — one can tell by mere looking.
Could it be that these vessels are not well-maintained because they are not making enough money anyway due to tight competition? If so, perhaps Marina may have to cut down on the number of franchises it issues for the Dumaguete route.
But if it can be proven these shipping companies make a hefty profit on this route, while neglecting to upgrade their vessels, we may conclude that the business is simply governed by greed.
We call on the Marina to use its power to upgrade the boats coming to and sailing out of the Dumaguete port, to ensure the safety of the riding public. There is absolutely no reason why we allow the continued operation of businesses that put lives at risk.
