EDITORIAL - Deadly modes of transportation

The first typhoon to hit the country near the end of summer left at least 24 people dead, 21 of them in a motorized outrigger that capsized off Masbate the other day. The operator of the motorboat reportedly ignored a warning from authorities to ground all small vessels as typhoon "Caloy" swept through the southeastern part of Luzon. Authorities had problems identifying the victims who were plucked out of the sea as the operators of the outrigger "Mae An" kept no manifest.

Such commercial motorized outriggers are common in this archipelago of 7,100 islands. In some areas, the boats are the only means of inter-island transportation. Residents of coastal areas, many of whom learn to swim as soon as they can walk, tend to take for granted the risks posed by such primitive means of maritime transportation. Maritime safety authorities also rarely bother to regulate the activities of such commercial vessels.

This is not surprising, considering that maritime authorities are often hard-pressed to enforce safety rules even in large ferries. Every year there is at least one deadly maritime disaster, and in almost every case the passenger manifest is incomplete. Survivors often complain of overloading and of cargo being stowed improperly.

Since the Abu Sayyaf was blamed for the bombing of a ferry near Corregidor Island in February 2004, leaving over a hundred people dead or missing, maritime authorities have tightened security measures for boarding commercial vessels. Large ferry operators have also upgraded their fleets and safety procedures in recent years.

But too many ship operators still get away with violating maritime safety rules. The violations are most rampant among operators of small commercial boats whose activities remain largely unregulated. Their operators are often heedless of storm warnings and maritime safety rules. Until the government finds a way of regulating these modes of transportation, every typhoon could lead to loss of lives. The "Mae An" disaster isn’t going to be the last this year.