Will the maritime industry ever shape up?

You have to hand it to shipping operators in this country. Rain or shine, day or night, fair weather or foul, their vessels manage to sink -- often because of overloading, sometimes due to engine malfunction, occasionally out of sheer negligence and stupidity. How many administrations have tried to streamline the maritime industry? How many presidential orders have been issued to maritime authorities, the Coast Guard, the Department of Transportation and Communications, shipping operators?

Expect the same orders to be issued once again, after another ferry sank Wednesday night. The wood-hulled cargo vessel ML Annahada left the Jolo pier at 6 p.m. Wednesday bound for Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. Two hours later, the ship capsized. As of yesterday afternoon, 56 bodies had been fished out of the sea, nearly half of them children. Forty-three survivors were rushed to the Jolo Hospital. Up to 100 passengers were believed to be missing. Believed, because no one is sure how many passengers the ship was carrying.

The Coast Guard, which cleared the vessel for sailing, said that when the Annahada left the Jolo pier, it had only nine ship personnel and 11 passengers. A survivor reportedly said small boats brought unmanifested passengers to the motor launch when it was about two kilometers from the pier. A motor launch is not authorized to carry paying passengers. There are suspicions that the unmanifested passengers were being smuggled to Malaysia via Tawi-Tawi.

Each time a ferry sinks, killing scores of people, national leaders and politicians make a lot of noise about the need to streamline and modernize the maritime industry. Little progress has been made. The "floating coffins" are still around, passengers are still unmanifested, vessels are still overcrowded and poorly maintained. The Coast Guard still can't adequately patrol the country's waters. And nobody gets punished for lives lost. Maritime authorities get a slap on the wrist, while erring ship owners don't get even a public scolding.

Life is cheap in Philippine waters. Damage claims in a maritime accident rarely make a dent in a shipping company's coffers. No ship owner has gone to jail for the deaths of hundreds or even thousands of passengers. One reason is that most of the victims are poor. Will President Estrada, who professes a special bond with the masses, be able to make a difference?