Showing posts with label Aboitiz Transport System. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aboitiz Transport System. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon The Evolution of "Ariake" to "Mabuhay 5" and "SuperFerry 9"

9/09/2009 | Posted by myty555 | Edit Post




Over its lifetime a ship evolves. Modifications and conversions are made, changes in name and ownership happen, flag of registry changes. Such is the case of the ship originally known as "Ariake".

"Ariake" has the ID number IMO 8517396 (IMO number is the unchangeable number of ahip until her death). She was a ship built in 1986 and first owned by Japan's "A" Line. In her original iteration she had two cargo decks (one of which is not visible from outside) and two other decks.

Later on in Japan she was further built up. But one peculiar trait of hers is the wide cargo deck in front of the ship.

In 1995 she was sold to William Lines in the Philippines and became the "Mabuhay 5". Further passenger decks were added and her upper cargo deck was converted into passenger decks. She had four-and-a-half passenger decks. Probably she was the pax-cargo ship with the most number of decks in the Philippines and her capacity rose to 1,952 passengers.

With the merger of the big shipping companies in the Philippines that produced William, Gothong and Aboitiz (WG&A) she became the "SuperFerry 9". Later on William and Gothong sold out and the resulting company became the Aboitiz Transport Shipping Corporation (ATS or ATSC). ATS was the last owner of "SF9", her monicker.

"SF9" underwent one final change when local shipping went on a drastic change down due to the pressure of the budget airlines and the emergence of the short-distance ferries and the inter-modal form of transport. Two of her passenger decks were reconverted in a second cargo deck like when she was still in Japan in order to maximize her load. It was in this form when she went down off the coast of Zamboanga.


Photo Credits:

Toshihiko Mikami
Mike Gutib
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PostHeaderIcon Ferry capsizes in Southern Philippines; 9 drowned, 63 missing

9/07/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


Super Ferry 9 with about 1,000 people on board sank in in Siocon Bay in Zamboanga, Southern Mindanao on Sunday, September 6, 2009. As of latest report 9 passengers died and 63 were declared missing. 925 pnicked passengers were rescued from the ferry which tilted for hours before it keeled and went down the sea.

So far only two fatalities were identified: 2 year-old James Patrick Galero and 45 year-old Fernando Estrada. According to the Coast Guard, the survivors were taken to vessels who responded to the emergency---265 were rescued by MV Ocean Integrity, 446 in MV Myriad, 170 in a Philippine Navy vessels, 26 and 19 in fishing boats Sierra and Julius respectively.

The immediate cause of the mishap was unclear. Coast Guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said the ship left General Santos City at 8:45 a.m. Saturday and was heading for Iloilo when it began having problems with its generator. The ferry was abandoned at 4:40 early Sunday morning.

Owned by the Aboitiz Transport System Corporation, the ill-fated ship had history of engine troubles. The last incident was in May 2009 when its travel was interrupted for 12 hours in Camiguin Province because of mechanical trouble.

This recent sea tragedy is another mishap that isn’t unexpected. The Philippines has a very poor record of maritime safety (see related blogs). In June 2008, Princess of the Stars sank off Romblon during Typhoon Fengshen claiming the lives of more than 800 passengers. In 1987, greater thn 4,000 people were lost in a fiery collision between the ferry Dona Paz and an oil tanker near Mindoro Island, the worst in memory.

In spite of the outrage and calls by concerned citizens to step up safety and regulations to avert deaths, nothing seems to have improved. The governmet seems helpless in preventing the sea disasters. Souces: GMA.newsTV; Guardian.co.uk (Photo Credit: Reuters) =0=

RELATED BLOGS: RP’s maritime disasters: a harvest of blame and shame Posted by mesiamd at 11/08/2008; "Ferry boat sinks in Masbate killing 40" Posted by mesiamd at 11/04/2008; "Boat mishap in Iloilo, 9 dead" Posted by mesiamd at 01/06/2008; "The need for witnesses in the Princess of the Stars toxic chemical recovery" Posted by mesiamd at 9/25/2008; "Endosulfan safely retrieved: where are the other toxic chemicals?" Posted by mesiamd at 10/07/2008 ; "Toxic Cargo" Posted by mesiamd at 6/28/2008.


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PostHeaderIcon General Motors, Suzuki and the Legazpi Airport

11/17/2008 | Posted by myty555 | Edit Post



The beleaguered General Motors (GM) of the US is selling its 3% stake in Suzuki Motor Corporation for $230 or about PHP11 billion in Philippine money. The biggest automative company (until last year) is bleeding heavily in the current financial crisis sweeping the world and it is feared it would run out of money soon unless bailed out by the US government.

Suzuki has lost 55% of its "market value" this year due to the ongoing economic crisis. It has revised downward its estimated profits to $612 million. Yet a 3% stake in that company will still earn $18.3 million or about PHP850 million.

Legazpi airport is due to be relocated soon in a Daraga barangay going to Sorsogon. Government estimates the cost to be P5 billion pesos, an estimate I do not believe. The government said that when the new Davao airport cost was completed it cost $128 or about PHP6 billion. I am not sure if in that bill land acquisition and airport equipment was included since a PHP10 billion cost was being bruited about in Davao.

Nobody at this point knows what is included in the estimate of PHP5 billion for the new Legazpi airport. But it is known that project proponents in many cases deliberately underestimate the cost so that it will "saleable". Later on, they would simply ask for "supplementary" budget allocation which is already an overused ploy. In this case it will always be approved lest people get mad over an airport that cannot be used.

Be it P5B or P10B it is simply too much money to put in a single project that will probably handle only 3 flights per day. The landing fees that will be collected will not even be enough to pay the cost of money and operational expenses of the airport.
Moreover, it is not the common people who will use it. After all it is known that half of the airline revenues are from travel-happy government employees who always think they are in a hurry but who would take a cheaper alternative if the fare will come from their pockets.

I have no question if funds are spent for municipal ports. Simply because so many people use it and not only fishermen and boat/launch passengers. Municipal ports even become rural promenades.

Airports takes lots of space, it costs so much and just too little people use it anyway. They just make it look necessary but for all practical purposes it is a white elephant.

Look if that money is used to buy that 3% stake of Suzuki. With that it will be put to better use.

Of course the usual justifications like tourism will be raised again and again like a mantra. As if tourists come in droves. They will also use the word "gateway". Bicol's real gateway is the bus and the Maharlika highway. After all, we are not the US where long-distance travel by people is really via air and they can afford to pay for it.

For comparison, look at Baguio City which is a much stronger destination for local and foreign tourist. It no longer has scheduled flights and it is none the worse for it. Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, a city of comparative size and distance to Legazpi doesn't have air service, too, anymore. Commuters there are willing to take the 10-12 hour overnight aircon bus which is the same travel time of aircon buses to Legazpi.

They rationalize that the old airport can be sold for about P5B so in the end the project becomes "self-financing". But did they reckon how many factories can be put up with that amount of money? It could have even bought the Aboitiz Transport System. Yes, bring that money to Bicol, please, but use it in putting up factories and BPO centers.

I remember that a few years ago a multilateral funding agency observed that we stress too much infrasture-building. And this might be another case of that.
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