10 Philippine Operators Added 17 Brand-New IACS-Classed Ro-Pax Ships Since 2024
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Ten Philippine domestic shipping companies acquired 17 brand-new, IACS-classed roll-on/roll-off passenger vessels between 2024 and 2026, according to a consolidated fleet-renewal disclosure released by the Maritime Industry Authority on September 25. MARINA identified Montenegro Shipping Lines, Lite Shipping, Medallion Transport, ALD Sea Transport, Aleson Shipping Lines, Cokaliong Shipping Lines, Guardian Four Aces Shipping, Starlite Ferries, Besta Shipping Lines and Roble Shipping as the operators involved, with Montenegro and Lite receiving additional recognition for acquiring multiple new vessels. The agency also disclosed several passenger-service digitalization milestones, including the first NFC-based “Tap and Sail” ticket and electronic-manifest system and the first operator group recognized as compliant with MARINA's new Shipping Online Ticketing System rules. The 17 vessels were acquired over the three-year period and should not be interpreted as 17 ships ordered or delivered in September.
17 New Ro-Pax Ships Across 10 Domestic Operators
MARINA's latest disclosure pulls together three years of individual fleet additions into a single figure, showing how broadly brand-new Ro-Pax investment has spread across the Philippine domestic ferry market.
MARINA says all 17 were acquired during the 2024-2026 period and deployed in domestic service.
The acquisitions span operators serving different parts of the Philippine inter-island network.
MARINA specifically identifies the vessels as classed by member societies of the International Association of Classification Societies.
Montenegro Shipping Lines and Lite Shipping received additional recognition for acquiring multiple brand-new vessels.
Operators Identified by MARINA
The 10 Operators Behind MARINA's 17-Ship Figure
MARINA named every company in the fleet-renewal group but did not publish the complete 17-vessel roster. The table therefore distinguishes the agency's confirmed operator disclosure from vessel examples independently identified in public records.
| Operator | MARINA Sep. 25 Status | Publicly Documented Example | Example Detail | Fleet-Renewal Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montenegro Shipping Lines | Multiple New Ships | MARINA did not identify the individual vessels in its Sep. 25 release. | The company received additional recognition specifically for multiple brand-new acquisitions during 2024-2026. | One of the two operators MARINA separately highlighted for multi-vessel renewal. |
| Lite Shipping | Multiple New Ships | M/V Lite Ferry Ten | 2024-built; RINA class; about 500 passengers; capacity for 20 ten-wheel trucks plus 10 cars. | MARINA separately recognized Lite for acquiring multiple brand-new vessels. |
| Medallion Transport | Recognized | Not identified in Sep. 25 release | Included by MARINA among operators acquiring brand-new IACS-classed Ro-Pax tonnage. | Part of the wider 10-operator renewal group. |
| ALD Sea Transport | Recognized | M/V Annther 8 | Entered Surigao-Southern Leyte service in 2025 with capacity for 387 passengers and 18 ten-wheel trucks. | New Ro-Pax capacity supporting inter-island passenger and rolling-cargo service. |
| Aleson Shipping Lines | Recognized | Not identified in Sep. 25 release | Included in MARINA's consolidated 2024-2026 acquisition group. | Part of the wider domestic re-fleeting disclosure. |
| Cokaliong Shipping Lines | Recognized | M/V Filipinas Bohol | 2025-built; 2,283 GT; 424 passengers; RINA class; approximately ₱270 million construction investment. | Cokaliong said the vessel was part of its continuing shift toward brand-new ships. |
| Guardian Four Aces Shipping | Recognized | Not identified in Sep. 25 release | Included among MARINA's 10 operators acquiring brand-new IACS-classed Ro-Pax vessels. | Extends the renewal trend beyond the largest nationally recognized brands. |
| Starlite Ferries | Recognized | M/V Starlite Resilience / M/V Starlite Gratitude | Both are new Japan-built Ro-Pax vessels. Starlite Gratitude entered service in 2026 with capacity for 618 passengers. | Continues a longer Starlite program centered heavily on newly built tonnage. |
| Besta Shipping Lines | Recognized | Not identified in Sep. 25 release | Included in MARINA's 2024-2026 brand-new vessel group. | Part of the broader domestic Ro-Pax modernization cycle. |
| Roble Shipping | Recognized | Not identified in Sep. 25 release | Included among the 10 recognized fleet-renewal operators. | One of the Cebu-centered operators represented in the disclosure. |
The Same Release Revealed Three Digital Passenger-Service Milestones
Guimaras Island Transport Multipurpose Cooperative was recognized for pioneering an NFC card combining passenger ticketing with an electronic manifest.
Bamosa Marine Transport and operator Margie Tenorio were recognized for subsequently adopting NFC-based electronic passenger-card systems.
Chelsea Logistics, Trans-Asia Shipping Lines, Starlite Ferries and SuperCat were recognized as the first compliant operator group under MARINA's new online-ticketing rules.
A useful example of the newbuild profile: 72 meters, RINA class, 500-passenger capacity and significant rolling-cargo space.
Cokaliong's 2025 newbuild combines 424-passenger capacity with modern navigation equipment and IACS-member classification.
The 67.6-meter Japan-built ferry entered Starlite's fleet under ClassNK and was assigned to Western Nautical Highway services.
The 2026 Japan-built vessel carries up to 618 passengers plus trucks and cars on Visayas-Mindanao routes.
What Could 17 New Ro-Pax Ships Add to Domestic Capacity?
MARINA did not publish combined passenger or vehicle capacity for the 17 vessels. Enter an average vessel profile and operating pattern to model the scale of capacity represented by the fleet-renewal group.
Illustrative Annual Utilized Capacity
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