Who's to Blame?

So who's really to blame on the M/V Princess of the Star tragedy? PAGASA? Bad Weather? the Coast guard?

Let me just recount on the performance of Sulpicio Lines, Inc. over the past decade. Since the most tragic 1987 M/V Doña Paz sinking, Sulpicio has sank 4 of its big ships and ferries, the latest of which is the M/V Princess of the Stars. Talk about performance in the field of marine navigation. And of the four tragedies that the company has figured in, they were never sacked, nor temporarily closed down, nor given reprimand.

See the top water-related tragedies at peace-time. M/v Princess of the Orient was not on the list, but I think this was also a Sulpicio Lines-owned vessel that sank off the coast of Batangas, leaving about 150 dead and hundreds more injured.

Courtesy of http://www.wikipedia.com/:

4,300–4,500 - MV Doña Paz (Philippines, 1987)
2,750–3,920 - SS Kiangya (off Shanghai, 1948)
1,863 - MV Joola (Senegal, 2002)
1,547 - Sultana (Mississippi River, 1865)
1,517 - RMS Titanic (North Atlantic, 1912)
1,155 - Toya Maru (Tsugaru Strait, 1954)
1,021 - SS General Slocum (New York, 1904)
1,018 - MV al-Salam Boccaccio 98 (Red Sea, 2006)
1,012 - RMS Empress of Ireland, (Saint Lawrence River, 1914)
c.1,000 - SS Hong Moh (South China Sea, 1921)
894 - MV Bukova (Lake Victoria, Tanzania, 1996)
852 - MS Estonia (Baltic Sea, 1994)
835 - SS Eastland (Chicago, 1915)
800 - MV Princess of Stars capsized by Typhoon Fengshen off Sibuyan Island, Philippines, June 21, 2008.
737 - SS Camorta (Irrawaddy Delta, 1902)
c.640 - SS Princess Alice and SS Bywell Castle (River Thames, 1878)
627 - SS Norge (Rockall, 1904)
625 - SS Ramdas (Bombay, 1947)
608 - Novorossiysk (Sevastopol, 1955)
600 - Shamia (Meghna River, southern Barisa, Bangladesh, May 1986)
587 - Ertuğrul (off Kushimoto, Japan, 1890)
580 - Indonesian passenger ship Tamponas 2 (caught fire and sank in Java Sea, January 1981)
558 - SS Principe de Asturias (off Brazil, 1916)
550 - Cahaya Bahari (off Sulawesi, Indonesia, 2000)
546 - RMS Atlantic (Nova Scotia, 1873)
528 - MV Nazreen 1 (Chandpur, Bangladesh, July 2003)
500 - Atlas Star (Dhaleswar River, Munshiganj, Bangladesh, 1986)
497 - Ebisu Maru (off Tokushima, Japan, 1946)
464 - Salem Express (off Safaga, Egypt, 1991)
461 - MV Senopati Nusantara (off Mandalika Island, Indonesia, 2006)
438 - Baccha Singh (Manihari Ghat, Bihar, River Ganges, 6 August 1988)
423 - Admiral Nakhimov (Black Sea, 1986)
400 - Reina Regenta (off Gibraltar, March 11, 1895)
400 - SS Lady Elgin (Chicago, 1860)
400 - Cataraqui (King Island, Australia, 1865)
397 - Toyo Maru 10 (near Kurushima, Japan, 1945)
392 - SS Himera (off Athens, Greece, January 19, 1947)
361 - KM Bismas Raya 2 (off Merauke, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, October 1999)
358 - HMS Victoria (near Tripoli, Lebanon, 1893)
357 - 10th of Ramadan (Lake Nasser, Egypt, 1983)
353 - SIEV-X (off Indonesia, 2001)
340 - MV Shalahuddin 2 (Meghna River, Bangladesh, 2002)
338 - Gurita (off Sabang, Aceh, Indonesia, January 1996)
325 - Harta Limba (off Kalimantan, Indonesia, 1999)
314 - Principessa Matalda (off Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil, October 25, 1927)
308 - Namyong-Ho (Korean Strait, 1970)
304 - Japanese passenger boat Sekirei Maru capsized with crush by windy condition off northwestern Awaji Island, Japan, December 9, 1945.
300 - Brazilian river boat Sobral Santos capsized Amazon River, Obidos, Brazil, September 20, 1981
300 - Turkish ferry Üsküdar capsized and sank at Bay of İzmit, Kocaeli, Turkey, March 1, 1958
297 - RMS Tayleur, (Lambay, Ireland, 1854)
292 - A Seohae, South Korean ferry, West Sea, overloaded with 362 people, capsized off Puan county October 10, 1993[6]
288 - SS Heraklion (Souda, Crete, Greece, 1966)
280 - Chinese ferry Dashun caught fire and capsized in rough seas off Yellow Sea, Yantai, Shandong, China, November 24, 1999
280 - Nigerian passenger boat capsized at Ibaka, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, April 1998
280 - Myanmarese passenger ferry U Hla Myist sank by collided with Japanese vassel Bombei Maru at Yangon Bay, Myanmar, February 1973
279 - Filipino floating pagoda capsized in Bocaue river, northern Manila, Philippines, July 2, 1993
272 - Kenyan ferry MV Mtongwe sank at Mtongwe, Mombasa, Kenya, 1994
260 - USS Maine (Havana, Cuba, 1898) it is disputed whether this was accidental or an act of terrorism
260 - Earl of Abergavenny (off Portland Bill, 1805)
260 - Nuestra Señora de Atocha (Florida Keys, 1622)
259 - Portuguese passenger ship Save ran aground off Mozambique, July 8, 1961
250+ - Great Lakes Storm of 1913 (Great Lakes Basin, 1913)
250 - Filipino ferry Dona Marylin capsized by Typhoon Ruby off Maripipi Island, Philippines, October, 1988
250 - Bangladeshi ferry MV Dinar gone down in strong whirlpool at Meghna River, Chandpul, Bangladesh, August 20, 1994
249 - Chang Tyong-Ho (Busan, South Korea, 1953)
230 - Brazilian double-decker boat Novo Amapo capsized Belem de Cajari, Macapa, Amazon River, Brazil, 1981
230 - Bangladeshi ferry Rushi capsized by stormy condition at Padma River, Bangladesh, April 1980
226 - Ville du Havre (North Atlantic, 1873)
220 - Nigerian passenger boat capsized by stormy sea off Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, January 24, 1996
215 - Myanmarese double-decker ferry sank during storm at Gyaing River, 1990
210 - Illegal African immigrants boat sank off Sfax, Tunisia, 2003
209 - Seven Japanese fishing boat sank by Super typhoon Carmen (off Agrihan, 1965)
206 - Egyptian ferry boat Adel capsized at Upper Nile, Maghagha, Governorate, Egypt, May, 1963
205 - HMS Iolaire (off Stornoway, 1919)
200 - SS Victoria (London, Ontario, 1881)
200 - Indonesian passenger ferry KMP Digul capsized in rough sea off Merakuke, Papua, Indonesia, July 2005.
200 - Bangladeshi passenger ferry Haisal rammed by collide with cargo vessel at Dhaleswari river, Bangladesh, December, 1988.
193 - Herald of Free Enterprise (English Channel, 1987)
192 - Two illegal immigrants boats sank off Gulf of Aden, Yemen, 2007
189 - MV Maharaj (Buriganga River, Bangladesh, 2005)
189 - HMS Orpheus, (Auckland, 1863)
185 - Batavia (off Australia, 1629) includes both drowned and murdered
182 - Congo ferry Dieu Merci capsized at Mai-Ndombe Lake, Bandunu, Democratic Republic of Congo, November 27, 2003.
180 - Somali refugee boat capsized off Gulf of Aden, Yemen, March 31, 1998
177 - Russian cruise ship Alexander Suvorov crashed into a railroad bridge at Volga River, Ulyanovsk, southwestern Russia, June 5, 1983.
171 - Chinese sightseeing boat sank at Songhua River, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, August 1985
170 - Staffordshire (Cape Sable, 1853)
168 - Shiun Maru (Takamatsu, Japan, 1955)
167 - Japanese ferry Nankai Maru capsized off southern Awaji Island, Japan, January 26, 1958
167 - Dona Cassandra sank by typhoon Orchid (off Mindanao, 1983)
165 - Tamil refugees boat capsized off Nanchchikuddah, Sri Lanka, February 20, 1997
161 - Romanian passenger boat Mogosoaia sank by collide with Bulgarian barge Pita Karamonchev at Danube River, Galatzi, Romania, September 10, 1989
158 - Scandinavian Star (Skagerrak, 1990)
158 - Sierra Leone boat Amunafa capsized off coast Bailor, Sierra Leone, August 3, 2007
150 - Peruvian ferry La Chachita capsized at Maranon River, central Peru, May 7, 1991.
150 - Overloaded motorrized canoe capsized off Tasso, Sierra Leone, March 25, 1999.
150 - A pontoon ferry sink by overturned on Shire River, Malawi, May 23, 1965
150 - Colombian excursion ship Vencedor capsized off Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, September, 1961
148 - Medusa (off Senegal, 1816)
147 - Chinese passenger ferry capsized at Shanshui, Guangdong, China on March 2, 1983
140 - SS Koombana (off Port Hedland, Western Australia, 1912)
140 - Danish passenger ship Kjoebenhavn capsized after striking mine off coast of Jutland, Denmark, June, 1948
140 - Italian ferry Moby Prince collide with oil tanker, dense fog off Livorno, Tuscan, Italy, 1991
140 - Two African immigrants boat sank off Seferihisar, Turkey, 2007
134 - SS Morro Castle (off Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1934)
134 - Peruvian passenger boat Adresito capsized at Amazon River, Iquitos, Loreto Maynas, Peru, March 6, 1990.
131 - Chinese passenger boat Rong Jian capsized at Hejiang River, Rongshan, Sichuan, China, June 2000.
131 - Tararua (off Waipapa Point, New Zealand, 1881)
130 - Princess Victoria (Scottland, 1953)
130 - Nigerian ferry Olodiama collided with a tugboat off Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, September, 1997
130 - Thai ferry boat Sathit collided with chemical tanker at Gulf of Thailand, Si Racha, Thailand, March 1992
129 - USS Thresher (N. Atlantic, 1963)
128 - HMS Gladiator (Isle of Wight, 1908)
128 - Greek cruise ship Lakonia sunk after fire on board off Madeira, Portugal, December 28, 1962.
124+ - SS Yongala (Townsville, Australia, 1911)
124 - Djibouti ferry Al Baraqua 2 capsized off Tadjoura, Djibouti, April 6, 2006
120 - Ghanan motorboat capsized at Lake Volta, Jasikan, Ghana, April 10, 2006.
118 - Kursk (Barents Sea, 2000)
117 - Kinka Maru (Onagawa, northeastern Miyagi, Japan, 1946)
113 - Japanese wooden passenger boat Kitagawa Maru 5 capsized at Onomichi, Japan, April 1957.
102 - SS Gothenburg. (Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, 24 February 1875).
100 - Brazilian cruise boat Bateau Mouche capsized at Copacabana beach, Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 1, 1989.
99 - USS Scorpion (near Azores, 1968)
92 - Japanese passenger boat Koun Maru sank by rough sea off Misumi, Amakusa, western Kyūshū, Japan, October 1, 1933.
85 - Illegal African immigrants boat sank Mareg, Puntland, Yemen, 2003
82 - STV Royston Grange (off Montevideo, Uruguay, 1972)
81 - Samina (near Paros, Greece, 2000)
80 - Pamir (1957)
80 - Hong Kong ferry Fatshan plunged by torrential typhoon Rose, Auguat 17, 1971.
78 - Greek tanker Spyros exploded at Jorong shipyard, Singapore, October 12, 1978
70 - Ming 361 (2003)
58 - Bahrain wooden plesure boat al-Dana capsized off Gulf of Bahrain, 2006
57 - Danish passenger boat Turisten Killing 57 pass. after fire on board on Haderslev Dam, July 8, 1959
54 - MS Jan Heweliusz (Baltic Sea, 1993)
53 - TEV Wahine (Wellington, NZ, 1968)
51 - SS Andrea Doria (off Nantucket, Mass. 1956)
48 - Brazilian river boat Comandante Sales capsized at Solimoes River, on the outskirts of Manacapura, Amazonas, Brazil, May 4, 2008.
45 - SS Elingamite (Three Kings Islands, NZ, 1902)
44 - British bulk carrier Derbyshire capsized by structual failure and Typhoon Orchid off Ryukyu Island, September 9, 1980
36 - FV Gaul (Barents Sea, 1974)
35 - HMS Pandora (Torres Strait, 1791)
31 - SS Carnatic (Red Sea, 1869)
29 - SS Edmund Fitzgerald (Lake Superior, 1975)
28 - Soviet submarine K-19 (to fire, 24 February 1972)
20 - Ethan Allen (Lake George (New York), 2 October 2005)
17 - 1979 Fastnet race (Fastnet Rock, 1979)
16 - MS Sleipner (Norway, 1999)
13 - Essex (South Pacific, 1819)

So who's really to blame on the tragedy? There were talks of engine trouble. There were news of holes in the ship. There were news about cargo loading in a passenger vessel. And Sulpicio Lines is blaming everything to bad weather forecasting.

My heart bleeds for the families of more than 700 missing bodies still underneath the sank M/V Princess of the Stars. I pray that justice be served.

4-time World Champion!

Once again, Manny Pacquiao has proven that he's the best pound-for-pound fighter today! After a gruelling 9 rounds of boxing at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Pacquiao captured his fourth title in four different divisions, the first Asian to have conquered this title!

From the way he fought this morning, it showed that he has prepared well. His focus was exceptional, his fighting form, fantastic. We could not se traces of mediocrity from his last fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. He was in his tip-top shape. And all that David Diaz could say after the fight was "Manny is so f*cking fast." What ended Diaz's night was a straight right fake and a left hook combination. After that, we see Diaz's face kissing the canvas.

It's good to see Manny reach this far into the boxing realm. It is very rare to see a Filipino reach this level: Main event in a sellout Las Vegas arena, endorsements from the robe to the buttocks, a prime endorser of a #1 shoe and apparel line, and many many more! I just hope that he continues to shine and at the same time keep his feet on the ground. Filipinos need icons like him to look up to.

And hopefully he'll never run for public office. hehehe

Cheers!

Oarhouse, Malate: Good beer, Great food!

If anyone's working in the Manila or Pasay area (or anywhere else!), I'd definitely recommend this quaint, cozy pub just along the streets of Malate. To me, Oarhouse was really a good find: a place to have a short 5-thirsty chat with friends, or simply for chilling out and grabbing a beer or two. My lady and I have been a mainstay of this place, especially when we needed time to unwind after a hard day's work. Fortunately, I work in Ermita area, while she works in Pasay, and Oarhouse is midpoint from both our offices. We stay there for a couple of hours at most and just let a few fun topics, an ice-cold beer and a choice of pulutan chase our work stress away.

I discovered Oarhouse when it was featured in one Sunday Inquirer Magazine special about Manila's best kept secrets. I got particularly interested in some of the pubs described there, and one of which was Oarhouse. So one day, as I was waiting for my lady to get off from work, I walked the Mabini area and tried to find its exact location. I walked all the way from United Nations until I reached Oarhouse, which is almost near the Malate Church. I did not try it on that day, though. After having found its exact location, my lady and I decided to try it out the following week. And after that, we just kept coming back to enjoy the ambience, the beer, and the food.

Aside from the great old-timer pub feel, the food is also a thing to look forward to at Oarhouse. They brag about their famous Balbacua, which we haven't tried yet. =) My personal favorite would be their own version of the German classic Schnitzel. They serve four pieces of breaded pork with potatoes, bacon and onions as sidings, at a very affordable price! My lady loves their pasta, particularly the Pasta with Aligue. Wish I could have taken some pictures. =)

The place is also a a hang-out of renowned Filipino artists. That is why, as an added feature, Oarhouse is also an art gallery of sorts. Artists display photographs, paintings, and other artwork on its walls, and it is for sale to the public.

Artworks on the walls

So if anyone passes by Malate and is looking for a good chat, cold beer, and great food, I personally recommend that you try Oarhouse.

For more details, visit http://www.oarhouse.blogspot.com/.