MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued work stoppage orders on six vessels of a shipping firm, which owns one of the ferries that was lost to a deadly fire.
"The six vessels anchored in Navotas were already issued work stoppage orders," Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said in Filipino and English in an interview with reporters on Monday on the sidelines of the 2026 Asean Green Jobs Forum in Makati.
Tolentino assured the affected employees of the Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc. that they would still be entitled to their wages despite the order.
Tolentino said the order's duration depended on the firm's compliance with requirements.
The six vessels are the MV September Tulips, MV December Poinsettia, MV October Lavender, MV Star San Carlos, MV May Lillies, and MV November Cattleya.
The MV June Aster was traveling to Coron, Palawan with 134 people aboard when it caught fire off the town's coast on Sept. 9, 2026, claiming 77 lives. The accident was traced to a chemical spill.
