The Sinking of the MV Doña Paz – I. An analysis of the event 1 VOL. 45 NO. 3 2011 ACTA MEDICA PHILIPPINA CASE REPORT ORIGINAL ARTICLE _______________ Corresponding author: Anthony R. Perez, MD Department of Surgery Philippine General Hospital University of the Philippines Manila Taft Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000 Philippines Telephone: +639209703622 Email: tonyperez92@yahoo.com The Sinking of the MV Doña Paz – A Critique on Maritime Disaster Preparedness in the Philippines: An analysis of the event Anthony R. Perez, 1 Carl Abelardo T. Antonio 2 and Rafael J. Consunji 3,4 1 Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila 2 Pasay City Health Office 3 Division of Surgical Critical Care and Trauma, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila 4 Study Group on Injury Prevention and Control, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila ABSTRACT Objective. To discuss the various factors contributory to the fatalities that resulted from the sinking of the MV Doña Paz. Methods. Review of the pre-disaster, disaster and post-disaster events surrounding the sinking of the MV Doña Paz, as well as the subsequent response by the government and responsible agencies to the disaster. Results. The Sinking of the MV Doña Paz, along with the loss of more than 4,000 precious lives, is but a footnote in the long litany of misfortunes plaguing the Philippine maritime industry. A closer look into the events and circumstances leading to this tragedy demonstrates a confluence of equipment and system inadequacy on one hand and human error and lack of preparedness on the other. Conclusion. Multiple factors account for the occurrence of this tragedy, along with other maritime disaster incidents dotting the long maritime history of the Philippines. A cursory analysis of these factors may lead to recommendations that can prevent similar occurrences in the future and mitigate damage to property and loss of life. The policy implications of these findings are discussed in a subsequent paper. Key Words: maritime industry, Philippines, disaster preparedness Introduction The Philippines is a maritime country by force of geography owing to its archipelagic layout. Hundreds of ferries carry many thousands of working people and rural poor between the more than 7,000 islands the country comprises. Given the vulnerability to harsh environmental conditions and our reliance on boats and ships for inter- island travel, Filipinos are somewhat resigned to the numerous maritime accidents dotting the history of the Philippine domestic shipping industry and their toll on human life (Table 1). Table 1. Maritime disasters* in the Philippines (1980-2003) 1980 M/V DON JUAN 180 DEAD/115 MISSING 1981 M/V SAN JUAN 52 DEAD 1986 M/V DOÑA JOSEFINA 150 DEAD 1987 M/V DOÑA PAZ > 4000 DEAD 1988 M/V MARILYN 500 DEAD 1994 M/V CEBU CITY 66 DEAD/ 76 MISSING 1995 M/V VIVA ANTIPOLO VII 62 DEAD 1995 M/V KIMELODY CRISTY 17 DEAD/ 20 MISSING 1996 M/L GRETCHEN I 51 DEAD 1996 M/V DAVID JR. 7 MISSING 1996 M/B NICKADEL 4 MISSING 1996 M/V PENAFRANCIA 2 THROWN OVERBOARD 1997 M/B FISH HUNTER 3 DEAD 1997 F/B ANNIE PAULINE 4 MISSING 1997 M/V KALIBO STAR 17 DEAD/ 13 MISSING 1998 M/V PRINCESS OF THE ORIENT 70 DEAD/ 80 MISSING 1999 M/V ASIA SOUTH KOREA 58 DEAD 2001 M/L ANNAHADA 124 DEAD/ 14 MISSING 2002 M/V MARIA CARMELA 39 DEAD / 6 MISSING 2002 M/V NILODE- A 19 DEAD 2003 M/V SAN NICHOLAS 43 DEAD/ 21 MISSING *Maritime disasters refer to events occurring at sea that result to “a mismatch of casualties seeking medical care and the availability of such care.” (Eischen J. Maritime disasters. In: Hogan DE, Burstein JL, eds. Disaster medicine, 2 nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007. pp. 332-338.) On the morning of December 21, 1987, the Filipino people were given a rude awakening when the news broke that the lives of more than 4,000 people hoping to spend Christmas in Manila were lost forever in a sea of fire off the coast of a remote province in Mindoro. The ensuing response from concerned agencies focused on finger pointing, putting the blame on organizations concerned with safety and enforcing regulations governing the Philippine maritime industry. Several bodies, including both Houses of