Twice we again have tragic proofs of the Philippines as a failed state—one where laws and rules are not enforced causing the death of our fellow Filipinos. Within 48 hours, two ferry disasters happened whose combined death toll will most likely be more than 50.

On Thursday, Christmas Eve, Catalyn B, a wooden ferry collided with a fishing vessel and sank in Manila Bay. The Philippine Coast Guard said that deep-sea divers had found 12 bodies on Sunday inside Catalyn B. These were in addition to four earlier confirmed dead. Eleven passengers were still missing on Monday afternoon. Up to 27 people may be confirmed dead from this disaster.

Just before midnight on Saturday, a small inter-island ro-ro ferry, the MV Baleno 9, sank off the coast of Batangas. On Monday afternoon, 23 people were unaccounted for. There was no collision or any unusual episode. Survivors said the ship just listed and lay on its side and went down in seconds. They said many did not get out. Marina officials believe there must be many bodies trapped inside.By Monday noon, the official death toll in the MV Baleno 9 tragedy was only six. But 60 other passengers were rescued by the coast guard and other ferry ships that went to the area near Batangas City.

The MV Baleno 9 sank without making any SOS signals or reporting any problems. This confirms the sudden and unexpected sinking of the vessel survivors described.There are suspicions that Baleno-9 had too much more passengers than it was authorized to carry.
Disasters like these two happen too frequently in our country. Most of the time, the ships and boats involved are old and poorly maintained—and sailing overloaded with passengers and cargo. Some tragedies involved ships that were not authorized to carry passengers at all.But shipping companies seem incapable of containing their greed, especially during the Christmas season when millions take ships to spend the holidays with their families in the provinces or vice versa.

As in previous disasters, officials say they would have these two tragedies investigated. And the operations of the shipping lines that own the vessels involved have been suspended. President Gloria M. Arroyo has ordered the government agencies concerned "to conduct an audit" of the safety and seaworthiness of all commercial ships.What makes these two tragedies proofs of our Republic being a failed state is that these disasters happen over and over again.We have won the top prize in our shipping lines having the highest number of sinkings and disasters. We are notorious for the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster. This was on December 20, 1987 when the MV Doña Paz sank after colliding with the MT Vector. At least 4,375 people perished.

Corruption, negligence, the culture of impunity among others are the reasons our laws and regulations governing the shipping and maritime industry are not being enforced properly.In its many failures—to improve the peace and order situation, the traffic disorder, the rampant smuggling that is killing our local producers, the floods caused by waterways clogged with garbage and squatters, the grinding poverty of scores of millions, the deterioration of our schools, the destruction of our agriculture, the recidivism of shipping companies, among others—ours seems to have become the sunken ship of a failed state.

Will we ever be raised, drydocked, repaired and made to sail smoothly again?
(Manila Times)