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Starlite Ferries

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Starlite Ferries
Company typePrivate Company
IndustryShipping
Founded1995; 29 years ago (1995) in Batangas City
FounderAlfonso Cusi
Headquarters
Rizal Avenue Corner P. Dandan St. Batangas City
Area served
Philippines
Key people
Dennis Uy (Chairman)
Chryss Alfonsus V. Damuy (President & CEO)
Shane Anthony Arante (General Manager)
OwnerChelsea Logistics Holdings Corporation
Websitewww.starliteferries.com

Starlite Ferries is a passenger ferry company based in Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines owned and operated by Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp., a Manila-based logistics company. It mainly serves the provinces of Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Aklan, Cebu and Surigao del Norte and is one of the leading ferry companies operating in the Mimaropa and Western Visayas regions.

History

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MV Starlite Pioneer berthed at the Manila South Harbor in December 2015

Starlite Ferries Inc. started operations in 1995 with its first vessel MV Starlite Ferry. It began at a time when trade and commerce in Mindoro started to flourish. MV Starlite Ferry served the Calapan to Batangas route which then had daily average passenger traffic of 10,000 people and an average vehicle count of 1,500 to 2,000 units. There was an increasing demand for sea transportation of the people of Mindoro and Starlite was the first to respond to this challenge.[1][2][3]

In September 2017, Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. (CLC), a logistics company owned by Filipino entrepreneur Dennis Uy under Udenna Corporation, acquired Starlite Ferries, Inc. from the Cusi family. Uy also owns Philippine interisland ferry companies Supercat Fast Ferry Corporation and Trans-Asia Shipping Lines.[2][3]

In August 2018, Starlite Ferries became the first Philippine ferry company to operate branches of the Japanese convenience store FamilyMart. Four of the company's RORO ferries, MV Starlite Pioneer, MV Starlite Jupiter, MV Starlite Pacific and MV SWM Salve Regina each opened a FamilyMart store on board. The first three ferries operate along the Batangas-Calapan route while the last ferry operates along the Batangas-Caticlan route. The opening of the convenience stores follows Starlite Ferries owner Dennis Uy's acquisition of the Philippine franchise of FamilyMart.[4][5][6][7]

Routes

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As of May 2024, Starlite Ferries serve the following destinations:[8]

From To
Batangas City, Batangas Calapan, Oriental Mindoro
Caticlan Port, Malay, Aklan
Roxas City, Capiz
Romblon, Romblon
Sibuyan, Romblon
Roxas, Oriental Mindoro Caticlan Port, Malay, Aklan
Odiongan
Cebu City Surigao City, Surigao del Norte
Nasipit, Agusan del Norte
Port of Dapitan (Pulauan Port), Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte
Larena, Siquijor
Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental
Tagbilaran City, Bohol

Fleet

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MV Starlite Eagle docked at the Batangas International Port in August 2016

Current Fleet

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Starlite Ferries currently has a fleet of 17 RORO ferries, 1 high speed craft, and 1 cargo ship:

Roll on/Roll off (RORO)

High Speed Craft

Cargo vessels

Former Fleet

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Roll on/Roll off (RORO)

  • MV Starlite Atlantic (IMO number: 7501534) (sank off the coast of Tingloy, Batangas)

High Speed Craft

  • MV Starlite Juno

Incidents and accidents

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  • On December 26, 2016, MV Starlite Atlantic sank off the coast of Tingloy, Batangas during the onslaught of Typhoon Nina (international name: Nock-ten). The vessel was anchored in Batangas Bay when the typhoon passed over it with winds of up to 185 km/h in the center and gusts of 215 km/h. The typhoon generated huge waves between six and eight meters in height, causing the vessel to come off its mooring and drift toward Tingloy where it sank. One person died and 18 were reported missing in the incident, while the Philippine Coast Guard rescued 15 out of the 34 crew.[9][10][11]
  • On 26 August 2022, MV Asia Philippines, a RORO ferry owned by Trans-Asia Shipping Lines, but operated by Starlite Ferries at the time of the incident, caught fire around 5:30 p.m., a few meters off the Port of Batangas in Batangas City. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, there were 82 passengers and 15 vehicles on board the vessel when it caught fire. There were no fatalities and all passengers and crew were rescued in the incident, although a 44-year-old woman was injured during the incident.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ "Starlite History – Starlite Ferries". www.starliteferries.com. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Chelsea Logistics to acquire Batangas' Starlite Ferries". ABS-CBN News. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b Pateña, Aerol John (4 September 2017). "Chelsea Logistics acquires Starlite". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  4. ^ "FamilyMart onboard the Starlite Ferries' Salve Regina". pressencenow.com. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Convenience on board". Manila Standard. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Dennis Uy acquires FamilyMart". The Philippine Star. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  7. ^ Dumlao-Abadilla, Doris (30 October 2017). "Dennis Uy buys FamilyMart PH". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  8. ^ and Rates 2024 "Schedules and Rates 2024". Starlite Ferries. Retrieved 2 May 2024. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help).
  9. ^ Cinco, Maricar (28 December 2016). "18 still missing from MV Starlight Atlantic sinking". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  10. ^ "1 dead, 18 still missing as Typhoon Nina sinks ferry". CNN Philippines. 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Rescue operations ongoing for crew of sunken PH RORO ship". Port Calls Asia. 27 December 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  12. ^ Datu, Dennis (26 August 2022). "Fire hits passenger vessel off Batangas City; 73 rescued". ABS-CBNNews.com. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  13. ^ Ramirez, Robertson (28 August 2022). "MV Asia's safety certificate suspended". Philstar.com. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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