MANILA — The Philippine Department of Transportation (DoTr), through the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), has suspended the operations of two vessels following separate maritime incidents in Cagayan and Bohol.

The department, through MARINA, ordered the suspension of the passenger ship safety certificates of fast craft MV Ocean Jet 788 and motorized banca M/B Rose Marie 1, prohibiting both vessels from further operation until cleared by the agency.

"No vessel should be allowed to sail unless its safety and seaworthiness are assured. Our priority remains the protection of lives at sea and the prevention of maritime accidents," MARINA Deputy Administrator for Operations Loumer P. Bernabe said in a statement on Sunday.

The move came after the fast craft struck a loading dock at Tagbilaran Port in Bohol, an island province in the Central Visayas, while M/B Rose Marie 1 sank in Cagayan.

In an archipelago where fast crafts and motorized bancas are widely used to move passengers between islands, the passenger ship safety certificate serves as the primary regulatory checkpoint for keeping vessels that fail seaworthiness standards out of operation.

"This refers to the electrical failure of the bridge engine control/throttle system which resulted in the loss of reverse propulsion of MV Ocean Jet 788 while maneuvering for docking at Tagbilaran Port," MARINA Regional Director Ronaldo P. Bandalria said.

Ocean Jet is a high-speed craft operated by Ocean Fast Ferries, Inc. The vessel provided inter-island passenger ferry services linking major islands in the Philippines. Motorized bancas, such as the M/B Rose Marie 1, are traditional outrigger vessels widely used for passenger transport across the Philippine archipelago.

"The suspension of passenger ship safety certificate of MV Ocean Jet 788 shall remain in effect and may be restored/reinstated after a satisfactory result of MARINA survey and/or evaluation of all data surrounding the seaworthiness of the vessel," the agency said.

Whether MV Ocean Jet 788 or M/B Rose Marie 1 returns to service will rest with MARINA, with the fast craft's reinstatement tied to a satisfactory survey and evaluation of its seaworthiness and both vessels barred from operation until the agency clears them.

MARINA, an attached agency of the DoTr, regulates the Philippine maritime industry and issues passenger ship safety certificates as part of its mandate to enforce vessel seaworthiness standards. — Ashley Erika O. Jose