Inquiry blasts country’s poor safety record
THE Philippines has an unenviable record when it comes to maritime safety. The country, which is highly dependent on inter-island ferries for both passenger and cargo transport, has suffered innumerable maritime disasters — including the worst ever peacetime maritime accident: the sinking of the Dona Paz in 1987 that left an estimated 4,300 dead or missing after the chronically overcrowded ferry collided with an oil tanker.