This paper surveys the risks associated with passenger ferries in the Philippines, trying to understand the factors behind the loss of 600 lives per year on them and the world's worst-ever maritime accident. It reviews the main characteristics of the Philippine ferry fleet, and finds it comparable in many ways with that in the UK. The accident record is, of course, far worse, but several of the problems it raises are only extreme versions of those faced by the UK ferry industry. Naval architects in the UK are therefore contributing to safety in the Philippines, although the benefits only trickle through slowly. The paper suggests some ways in which more immediate assistance could be provided. However, the most important underlying cause of the accident record is poverty, and therefore the most effective solution is not naval architectural but lies in economic and political development. There are encouraging signs that this development is beginning to take place in the Philippines.
