THE capsizing of three motorboats at the Iloilo Strait in August last year was one of the biggest and saddest stories of 2019. Moving forward to this year, the incident was a wakeup call to all concerned, most especially those involved in the maritime industry. This year and beyond, no similar tragedies must happen again.
There is only one way of going to Guimaras from Iloilo and vice versa and that is thru a motorboat via the Iloilo Strait. Many residents of Guimaras, students, office workers and businessmen cross this unpredictable strait everyday and scores of motorboats ferry them.
From Iloilo, hundreds, too, take these boats to Guimaras. The island province is a tourist hub and many visitors – local and foreign – have made a visit to Guimaras a must, what with its sweet mangoes, white-sand beaches, stunning dive sites, and even the annual Pagtaltal sa Balaan Bukid, a Lenten dramatization of the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
The bigger question now lies on the seaworthiness of these motorboats and the system in transporting people. True enough, the Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority instituted strict measures, but are these being enforced to the letter?
With the increasing flow of people from Iloilo to Guimaras and vice versa, safety requirements must be strictly enforced – the seaworthiness of the motorboats, provision of life boats and life jackets, communications systems, passenger manifests, and clear-cut procedures to follow when there are weather advisories.
We can’t control the weather but with foresight, proper planning and preparation, we can avoid the unnecessary loss of lives at sea.
