Barely four months ago, a ferry fire off Basilan island in Mindanao claimed the lives of 32 people. Last week, 27 passengers died when a boat sank in Laguna Lake during bad weather. Have we not learned anything from the perennial mishaps that have marked interisland travel in this country? The loss of lives could have been avoided if only authorities had enforced the most basic safety and regulatory protocols for sea transport. Unfortunately, the mounting death toll from sea mishaps in the past three decades has yet to touch the government's conscience enough to plug the gaping loopholes that make sea transport in this maritime nation anything but safe.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/165204/navigating-rough-waters-in-sea-travel

#inquirer