Philippines Coast Guard Safely Evacuates Passengers from Grounded Ferry Maria Oliva

The Philippines Coast Guard successfully evacuated passengers from the interisland ferry Maria Oliva, which ran aground on November 11 in the Romblon region. The vessel, carrying 156 passengers, 38 crew members, and 26 trucks, was safely taken to shore. The Coast Guard is monitoring the vessel’s movement and investigating the cause of the grounding. The RoPax ferry, built in Japan in 1973 and operating in the Philippines since 1997, was on a six-hour inter-island trip when it grounded near Romblon port.

Upon receiving the distress call, the Coast Guard Station Romblon promptly dispatched rescue boats, and the provincial government and municipal disaster risk reduction office also provided assistance. All passengers were transferred to Romblon Port, except for a dialysis patient who needed access to his equipment in his vehicle on the vessel. Despite the grounding, there have been no reports of oil spills or flooding, and efforts are underway to determine how to refloat the ferry.

The Maria Oliva is operated by Montenegro Shipping Lines, one of the country’s major ferry operators with a fleet of 59 vessels serving 39 ports across three islands. The company is working closely with authorities to address the incident and ensure the safety of passengers and crew. The Coast Guard continues to monitor the vessel’s status while preparations are made for its potential refloating.

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