Montenegro Lines Explained

Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc.
Type:	Private
Area Served:	Philippines
Founder:	Vicente L. Montenegro Sr.
Key People:	Vicente C. Montenegro Jr. (General manager)
Location City:	Montenegro Corporate Center, Diversion Road, Barangay Bolbok, Batangas City
Location Country:	Philippines
Industry:	Shipping
Services:	Roll-on/roll-off (RORO)

Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. (MSLI) is a Philippine domestic shipping line based at Batangas City, Philippines. The office is located at Montenegro Corporate office, along Bolbok Diversion Road, Bolbok Batangas City. It operates passenger, cargo and RORO vessels to various destinations in the Philippines under the brands Montenegro Lines and Marina Ferries.

History

Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. was established on 16 September 1978 by entrepreneur Vicente Leyco Montenegro, Sr., a pioneer in commercial and public transportation in the Philippines. The first route was that the company served was from Batangas City to Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro using the boat MV Malaya.^[1] Over the past 40 years, MSLI provided passenger and commercial marine transportation services (cargo or vehicles) with a fleet of fast ferries and RORO vessels to 13 ports in the Philippines. In 2010, the company acquired eight additional RORO vessels worth PH₱1 billion from the Development Bank of the Philippines' Maritime Leasing Corporation and other lenders.^[2] By 2012, the company operated over 30 vessels on its fleet of passenger, cargo, and RORO vessels throughout Luzon and Visayas.^[3] As of 2020, the company has 59 vessels calling on 34 ports across the Philippines.^[1] Moreover, the company has a controlling stake over RORO Bus Transport Services Inc., a Philippine bus company that transports passengers to different destinations in the Philippines via the Strong Republic Nautical Highway.^[4]

In 2019, MSLI became a member of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association (PCSA), the biggest shipping group in the Philippines.^[5] ^[6]

Subsidiary

San Pedro Shipyard Corporation
Montenegro Marine
Roro Bus Transport

Destinations

As of 2023, Montenegro Shipping Lines served the following destinations:^[7] ^[8]

Vessels

Montenegro Lines operates the following vessels:

Tugboats

MT Montenegro Tugboat
MT Montenegro Tugboat 2

Maria Series

MV Maria Angela
MV Maria Beatriz
MV Maria Diana
MV Maria Erlinda
MV Maria Felisa
MV Maria Gloria
MV Maria Helena
MV Maria Isabel
MV Maria Josefa
MV Marie Kristina
MV Maria Lolita
MV Maria Matilde^[9]
MV Maria Natasha
MV Maria Oliva
MV Maria Querubin
MV Maria Rebecca
MV Maria Sophia
MV Marie Teresa
MV Maria Ursula
M/V Maria Vanessa
MV Maria Wynona
MV Maria Xenia
MV Maria Yasmina
MV Maria Zenaida^[10]

Fast-crafts

MV City of Angeles
MV City of Bacolod
MV City of Calapan
MV City of Dapitan
MV City of Escalante
MV City of General Santos
MV City of Himamaylan
Mv City Of Iloilo
MV City of Kabankalan
MV City of Lucena
MV City of Masbate
Mv City of Naga
Mv "City of Ozamiz
MV City of Roxas
MV City of Sorsogon
MV City of Tabaco
MV City of Zamboanga

Reina Series

MV Reina delos Angeles
MV Reina Banderada
MV Reina Divina Gracia
MV Reina Del Cielo
MV Reina delas Flores
Mv Reina Emperatriz
M/V Reina Genoveva
MV Reina Justisya
MV Reina Hosanna
MV Reina Immaculada
MV Reina Kleopatra
MV Reina de Luna
MV Reina Magdalena
MV Reina Neptuna
MV Reina Olympia
MV Reina Quelita
MV Reina Del Rosario
MV Reina Sentenciada
MV Reina Timotea
MV Reina Urduja
MV Reina Veronica
MV Reina Wilhelmina
MV Reina Xaviera
MV Reina Yvonne
Mv Reina Zadia

Santa Series

MV Santa Alberta
MV Santa Brigida^[11]
MV Santa Carmerlita^[12]
MV Santa Editha
MV Santa Soledad
MV Santa Margarita (New Vessel)
MV Santa Faustina (New Vessel)

Binibini Series

MV Binibining Abra De Ilog
MV Binibining Batangas
MV Binibining Coron" (New Vessel)

Future Vessels

MV Santa Juliana

Incidents and accidents

On 11 April 2002, a fire broke out on the cargo hold of MV Maria Carmela as it sailed from Masbate City to Lucena, causing it to sink. The incident, which happened of the coast of Pagbilao, Quezon, killed 39 people, while 371 individuals survived.^[13] ^[14]
On 17 March 2017, 88 passengers and 26 crew members onboard MV Reina Hossana were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard after a fire broke out onboard. The vessel was traveling from Calapan to Batangas City when the incident happened. The fire was eventually put out and the vessel was towed to Batangas City.^[15] ^[16] Another MSLI vessel, MV Reina Divinagracia, which was sent from Calapan to help rescue the passengers and crew of MV Reina Hossana, ran aground in the vicinity of Balahibong Manok Island in Tingloy, Batangas. All of its 104 passengers and 20 crew were rescued, while the vessel was freed from its location and towed to port.^[15] ^[17]
On 1 April 2017, MV Maria Oliva suffered loss of power to its engines while en route from San Ricardo, Southern Leyte to Surigao City, Surigao del Norte. The vessel floated without power for 10 hours until a Philippine Coast Guard vessel arrived and rescued the 264 individuals onboard. Another civilian vessel arrived and towed the vessel to Lipata Port in Surigao City.^[18] ^[19]
On 26 September 2017, 87 people were injured when MV Matilde rammed into a rock formation in the vicinity of Calatrava, Romblon due to a steering problem. The vessel was traveling from Odiongan to Romblon, Romblon when the incident happened. The vessel safely reached its destination but sustained severe damage to its bow.^[20] ^[21]
On May 27, 2023, M/V REINA XAVIERA was aground incident in Dapa, Surigao del Norte due to strong winds result to aground in the low tide area effects of Typhoon Betty are enter in the Philippine Area of Responsibility and on June 5, 2023 was aground again for second times due to Low Tide depart 5:00 pm from Port of Dapa bound to Surigao City MARINA suspend the Cargo Ship Safety Certificate of said vessel.
On July 16, 2023, MV Maria Helena ran aground and tilted to its portside off the coast of Banton Island while en route from Lucena, Quezon to San Agustin, Romblon. The ferry ran aground as a result of the rough seas which caused the ferry to wobble quite slowly. The momentum of the wobbling caused a heavy truck to fall down towards the left, causing the ferry to run aground and tilt toward its left.

Notes and References

Web site: About Us - Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. . Montenegro Lines . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Montenegro Shipping buying 8 ro-ro vessels for P1 billion . 25 August 2010 . Portcalls Asia . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Montenegro Shipping Acquires Ro-Ro Vessel . Manila Bulletin (via Yahoo! News) . 25 February 2012 . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Inter-island ships losing steam vs budget carriers . Cabuag, V.G. . 23 April 2012 . ABS-CBN News . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Cebu-based shipping group installs first set of officersíPortcalls Asia . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Biggest shipping group formed in Cebu . 15 August 2019 . Manila Bulletin . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Where would you like to go?. March 21, 2021.
Web site: 2021 Lipata and San Ricardo Ports Ferry Schedule and Fare Rates. March 21, 2021.
Underwent repair following a 2017 ramming incident. Returned to service. (See Incidents and accidents)
https://puntomindoro.wordpress.com/2019/06/18/punto-mindoro-montengro-renovates-mv-maria-zenaida/
https://www.bairdmaritime.com/work-boat-world/passenger-vessel-world/ro-pax/vessel-review-santa-brigida-locally-built-72-metre-ferry-for-philippines-montenegro-lines/
https://puntomindoro.wordpress.com/2019/06/23/punto-mindoro-mv-santa-carmelitas-lounge/
Web site: MV Carmela Ferry Tragedy: Heads roll at Coast Guard, BFP . Aravilla, Jose; Crisostomo, Sheila . 11 May 2002 . . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Philippine ferry fire kills 23 . 11 April 2002 . CNN . 4 February 2021.
News: Ro-Ro vessel bound for Batangas catches fire . 18 March 2017 . Aurelio, Julie . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 4 February 2021.
Web site: Ro-Ro nasunog habang papunta sa Batangas . Datu, Dennis; Ferrer, Paulo . ABS-CBN News . 17 March 2017 . 4 February 2021.
Web site: (UPDATE) Coast Guard rescues a total of 104 passengers from two distressed ships . 17 March 2017 . Manila STV . 4 February 2021.
Web site: PCG assists 264 passengers and 20 crew members onboard distressed passenger/cargo vessel in Agusan Del Norte . 3 April 2017 . . 4 February 2021.
Web site: 264 pasahero, crew nailigtas mula sa nasirang barko . Cultura, Rodge . ABS-CBN News . 2 April 2017 . 4 February 2021.
News: 87 hurt as ship rams rock in Romblon . Virola, Madonna; Cinco, Maricar . . 26 September 2017 . 4 February 2021.
Web site: 87 injured as ship crashes into cliff in Romblon . https://web.archive.org/web/20170928034237/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/09/26/romblon-collision-ship-87-injured.html . dead . September 28, 2017 . 26 September 2017 . . 4 February 2021.