World · Philippines Bureau
Labor Department launches probe into M/V June Aster fire safety
The Department of Labor and Employment has initiated an investigation into workplace safety standards aboard the vessel involved in a deadly fire off Coron, Palawan. Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino is leading the inquiry to identify potential compliance gaps.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA—The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) opened a formal investigation on October 8 into the circumstances surrounding a fatal fire aboard the M/V June Aster near Coron, Palawan, focusing on workplace safety conditions and practices.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino presided over the Lupong Pamagawa hearing, a mandatory industrial inquiry mechanism designed to examine potential violations of labor and occupational safety standards. The proceeding aims to establish what compliance failures, if any, may have contributed to the disaster that claimed lives and injured others.
The investigation will examine safety protocols aboard the vessel, including firefighting equipment, emergency procedures, and crew training related to workplace hazards. DOLE officials will determine whether the ship's operators met regulatory requirements for worker protection and vessel safety standards.
The incident has renewed scrutiny on maritime workplace safety in the Philippines, as shipping companies operating domestic and regional routes face increasing pressure to demonstrate compliance with national labor laws and international maritime conventions.