Ro-Pax Ferry Lists at Real Port in Quezon, 58 Rescued
A ro-pax ferry listed heavily to starboard just off Real Port in Barangay Ungos, Real, Quezon Province, on the eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines, at about 00:44 local time on Friday, 30 October. Real lies on the Pacific-facing side of Luzon and is the main mainland gateway for ferries to and from the Polillo Islands.
The ship, MV Virgen de Peñafrancia II, operated by Starhorse Shipping Lines, was arriving from Polillo Port with 40 passengers, 18 crew and 14 rolling cargo units on board. The list developed only about 10 metres from the port. All 58 people, including two infants, were evacuated by around 03:30, and local disaster officials said everyone was in good physical condition.
The crew reported about 1,300 litres of marine diesel oil in the ship’s service tank. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) placed oil-spill booms around the area to protect the nearby community. PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the operator had been told to apply for an emergency salvage permit. The cause of the list is under investigation, and environmental monitoring continues.
The coast guard said the incident would not disrupt passenger travel in the Southern Tagalog region during the busy Undas holiday period, when many Filipinos travel home.
The case shows how quickly stability can be lost on a ro-ro vessel, even alongside or in sheltered water. Crews on such ships benefit from strict checks on vehicle lashing, ballast and watertight doors before arrival, and from well-practised evacuation drills, which helped bring everyone off safely here.
