SHIP UPDATE | Starhorse Shipping Lines launches its new Lucena-Masbate-Calbayog and v.v. Route

One of the leading Southern Luzon-based shipping companies: Starhorse Shipping Lines, Inc. launches its newest route: Lucena-Masbate-Calbayog and v.v. Route and will be having its maiden voyage today January 12 2022 in Lucena City The vessel that will be used in this route is the M/V Virgen de Penafrancia X. She has a service speed …

2021, The year where the Philippine shipping industry surprised us all; What to expect in 2022

Article Contributed by Wong Nicholai of PSSS-Ozamiz © Photo by Mark Edelson Ocul of PSSS From the launching of the biggest ROPAX in the country to the launching of new and locally-made vessels. 2021 marks an unremarkable year in Philippine shipping. With the worsening state of COVID-19 in our country caused by newer variants, despite …

My Cebu Trip of December 2019

It has been some time already since I was in Cebu and part of the reason for that was my health which declined this year. Because of that, there were important invites which I was not able to honor. But my health recovered somewhat and I was able to participate in the Northern Mindanao tour …

The China Ferries Are Coming

It’s been a long time now that our newly-fielded ferries were surplus ferries from Japan, be it liners, overnight ships or short-distance ROROs. But in the last 5 years about half of our newly-fielded ferries from outside were already from China, both in surplus and in newbuilds. And that only shows the big changes that …

The Northern Mindanao Tour of the Philippine Ship Spotters Society (PSSS)

This tour was the first by PSSS in Northern Mindanao (aside from the inauguration of the Trans-Asia 19 which the PSSS attended and we were able to board other ships). This was planned a few months ago and it was designed to coincide with the vacation of PSSS Admin Capt. Josel-Nino Bado from his duty …

The Starlite Series of Sister Ships

In the Philippines there are three serieses of brand-new ships which started coming in the first half of this decade. The thing notable about them is they belong to different designs. One of these are the Oceanjets that were made from Australian kits and assembled in Labogon, Mandaue City. The other is the series of …

The Philippines’ First Fast Cruiser Liner

Cruiser liners are our type of comfortable passenger-cargo ships that came before the ROROs (Roll-on, Roll-off ships). They were called cruisers for their type of stern which is curving like a half-moon. This type of ship has no car ramps nor decks for vehicles. What they had were cargo decks with booms to handle the …

RORO Cargo Ships And Vehicle Carriers That Were Converted Into ROPAXes In The Philippines

RORO (Roll-on, Roll-off) Cargo Ships differ from ROPAXes (RORO-Passenger Ships) in that the former are mainly for carrying rolling cargo (vehicles mainly but could also be heavy equipment) with their drivers and crew and as such their passenger capacity and amenities like a restaurant or cafeteria are small. They are mainly designed to ferry vehicles …

The Bad Maharlika and Grand Star RORO Ferries Transformed

It was more than two decades ago when I first became acquainted on a regular basis with the Maharlika ships. This fleet consisted of the Maharlika I, Maharlika II, Maharlika III, Maharlika IV, Maharlika V, Maharlika VI and Maharlika VII. I just used their names with the Roman numerals for consistency because at other times …

Three RORO Companies Now In The Cebu To Surigao Route

Very recently, there are now three RORO companies vying in the route from Cebu to Surigao and vice-versa and for me that is a sea-shaking event but not a tsunami. It was Medallion Transport Inc. which started this thing when they fielded their biggest ship, the Lady of Love in the said route. To be …