
Chiz pushes for digitized sea travel records to avoid crisis info gaps
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero is pushing for the rapid, nationwide rollout of the government’s maritime digital passenger manifest system after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) raised the possibility that the ill-fated MV June Aster may have been carrying more passengers than its official manifest recorded.According to Escudero, the recent sea tragedy in Coron, Palawan once again exposes critical gaps in maritime safety protocols, underscoring the urgent need to real-time passenger data during emergencies.While the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has already mandated the use of digital passenger manifests to curb overloading and strengthen sea safety, Escudero observed that implementation across regional ports remains inconsistent.“What happened to MV June Aster show...









