Montenegro Shipping Lines

Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. (MSLI) is a Philippine domestic shipping line based at the Batangas International Port in Batangas City, Philippines. 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 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''. 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. By 2012, the company operated over 30 vessels on its fleet of passenger, cargo, and RORO vessels throughout Luzon and Visayas. As of 2020, the company has 59 vessels calling on 34 ports across the Philippines. 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.

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

Destinations

As of 2020, Montenegro Shipping Lines served the following destinations:

Vessels

Montenegro Lines operates the following vessels:

Tugboats

*MT ''Montenegro Tugboat''

Roll-on Roll-off Vessels

*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''
*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''
*MV ''Reina Emperatriz''
*MV ''Santa Brigida''
*MV ''Santa Carmelita''
*MV ''Santa Editha''
*MV ''Santa Soledad''
*MV ''Reina del Rosario''

Fast-crafts

*FC ''City of Angeles''
*FC ''City of Batangas''
*FC ''City of Bacolod''
*FC ''City of Cebu''
*FC ''City of Calapan''
*FC ''City of Dapitan''
*FC ''City of Lucena''
*FC ''City of Masbate''
*FC ''City of Pio Duran''
*FC ''City of Polambato''
*FC ''City of Sorsogon''
*FC ''City of Tabaco''
*FC ''Province of Romblon''
*FC ''City of Zamboanga''

Marina Ferries

*MV ''Reina delos Angeles''
*LCT ''Reina Banderada''
*MV ''Reina Divina Gracia''
*MV ''Reina Del Cielo''
*MV ''Reina delas Flores''
*M/V ''Reina Genoveva''
*LCT ''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 Sentenciada''
*MV ''Reina Timotea''
*MV ''Reina Urduja''
*MV ''Reina Veronica''
*MV ''Reina Wilhelmina''
*MV ''Reina Xaviera''
*MV ''Reina Yvonne''

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.
* 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. 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.
* 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.
* 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.

See also

*List of shipping companies in the Philippines
* SuperFerry
*Negros Navigation
*Cebu Ferries
* Supercat
* Roble Shipping Inc.

References

{{Transportation in the Philippines

1978 establishments in the Philippines
Ferry companies of the Philippines
Shipping companies of the Philippines
Companies based in Batangas City