When the Pacific War (this is what World War II was known in our hemisphere) erupted, our biggest and best ships were immediately requisitioned by the US to serve as transports and that is normal procedure in a war. And then when it looked like the United States will not be able to hold the … Continue reading The Destruction of the Philippine Merchant Marine Fleet In World War II
The Biggest Passenger-Cargo Ship in the Philippines in the 1930s
The 1930s was a golden era for Philippine passenger shipping. There were a lot of passenger-cargo ships that came and local shipbuilding was also in its peak. We benefited from World War I when demand for abaca, copra and coal went through the roof and it spurred shipbuilding and trading. The development of the internal-combustion … Continue reading The Biggest Passenger-Cargo Ship in the Philippines in the 1930s
I Did Not Expect That The Panay Liners (Except For Iloilo) Will Easily Surrender To The Intermodal Trucks And Buses
In the island of Panay, liners from Manila (they were really liners but were doing practically what is an overnight route if 250 nautical miles can be called an overnight route) called in Dumaguit port in Aklan and in the Culasi port of Roxas City in Capiz and many liners were assigned here by WG … Continue reading I Did Not Expect That The Panay Liners (Except For Iloilo) Will Easily Surrender To The Intermodal Trucks And Buses
Philippine Passenger-Cargo Shipping During The Commonwealth Era And On The Eve Of The Pacific War
Even before the advent of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935, the Filipino ship owners (this the more proper term as there are American shipping companies operating in the Philippines then as they are free to do so as we are a colony of the US and thus part of their territory) began gearing up for … Continue reading Philippine Passenger-Cargo Shipping During The Commonwealth Era And On The Eve Of The Pacific War
The Legacy of the Surplus Ships From Europe
After World War II, the passenger shipping companies in the Philippines started almost from scratch as the ships they had before the war were almost all lost by scuttling or through war actions (mainly by aircraft bombing and through gunfire). Like before the war, not all passenger shipping companies were created equal. Some of the … Continue reading The Legacy of the Surplus Ships From Europe
On The 11th Anniversary of the Capsizing of MV Princess of the Stars
Before the Philippine Ship Spotters Society (PSSS) was founded, I already wrote two articles about the capsizing of the Princess of the Stars in another forum/website, that of our college student organization. I would just want to share it here, warts, errors and all so that means no revisions of any kind. The first one: … Continue reading On The 11th Anniversary of the Capsizing of MV Princess of the Stars
The Result of the Losses of the MV Leyte, MV Guimaras and MV Dadiangas and the Scrapping of the MV Mindanao of Compania Maritima
Nowadays, those four liners of the defunct but once great Compania Maritima will no longer ring a bell to most people. Even in the years when the four were still sailing those were not among the best or the primary liners of the said shipping line except for the MV Mindanao which was actually the … Continue reading The Result of the Losses of the MV Leyte, MV Guimaras and MV Dadiangas and the Scrapping of the MV Mindanao of Compania Maritima
When Liners Were Still Small and Short-legged
After World War II and for a generation after, the Philippines had so many small and short-legged liners. This was dictated by the situation that when the United States replaced our merchant fleet that was destroyed in World War II as was their promise (since they requisitioned our passenger ships then and the others were … Continue reading When Liners Were Still Small and Short-legged
The Convergence, Parallels, Rivalry and Divergence of Sweet Lines and William Lines
For introduction, Sweet Lines is a shipping company that started in Tagbilaran, Bohol while William Lines is a shipping company started in Cebu City after the war while having earlier origins in Misamis Occidental before the war. And like many shipping lines whose founders are of Chinese extraction, the founders of both Sweet Lines and … Continue reading The Convergence, Parallels, Rivalry and Divergence of Sweet Lines and William Lines
The 130-meter Liner
From the start, I always had respect for the 130-meter liner class and maybe my close observation of theΒ SuperFerry 5 which I sailed with many times influenced me. Of course, I have respect for ships of all classes and that is why I don't gush for a particular class or even type. I always had … Continue reading The 130-meter Liner
Philippine Ship Spotters Society 