Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation


Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation, formerly branded as Sulpicio Lines, Inc., is a major shipping line in the Philippines. PSACC is one of the largest domestic shipping and container companies in the Philippines in terms of the number of vessels operated and gross tonnage. The company provides inter-island cargo services throughout the major ports and cities in the Philippines.

History

Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation was established as Sulpicio Lines by Go Guioc So. Commonly known as Sulpicio Go, Go was a Chinese merchant from Amoy who emigrated to the Philippines in 1919 with his siblings. With his brother he set up a shipping enterprise in Eastern Visayas. In 1953, Go served as the managing partner of Carlos A. Gothong Lines, Inc.
Sulpicio Go established his own venture with his sons by founding Sulpicio Lines in September 1973, starting with a fleet of 17 vessels, 1 tugboat and 5 barges. Sulpicio Lines catered to a niche market, opening tertiary and developmental passenger routes to isolated communities in Central and Eastern Visayas.
Sulpicio Lines grew to be the largest domestic shipping company in the Philippines, with a fleet of 22 passenger and cargo vessels and a market share of 20 percent of domestic sea traffic in the Philippines in 1988.
The company experienced multiple marine disasters, including the 1987 sinking of the Doña Paz, the sinking of the Doña Marilyn in 1988, the sinking of the Princess of the Orient in 1998, and the 2008 sinking of the Princess of The Stars during the occurrence of Typhoon Fengshen. In 2009, the PSACC adopted its current name discontinuing the use of "Sulpicio Lines" to refer to the company.
In January 2015, almost 7 years after the sinking of MV Princess of the Stars, the Maritime Industry Authority decided to revoke the company's certificate of public convenience, which meant that the company could no longer legally transport passengers.
The Court of Appeals, in a 237-page landmark decision dated June 28, 2024, written by Justice Wilhelmina Jorge-Wagan, held that Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation formerly Sulpicio Lines, Inc. was guilty of gross negligence and consequently liable for the deaths of 814 passengers and 500 missing in the 2008 MV Princess of the Stars shipwreck. In upholding the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 49's judgment, the CA ordered PSACC owners Enrique Go, Eusebio Go, Carlos Go, Victoriano Go, Dominador Go, Ricardo Go, Edward Go and Edgar Go, to pay a total of P129,854,502.57 damages to the victims' heirs, survivors, families and relatives, represented by counsel Persida Acosta.

Ports of Call

Philippine Span Asia Carrier's main ports of call are the cities of Manila and Cebu. Other ports of call are:

Current fleet

PSACC once had passenger RoRo vessels. However, because of their disreputable public image after a series of ferry disasters, PSACC has been banned from carrying passengers and is currently limited to cargo shipping. As of, PSACC has 18 vessels. Currently PSACC is undergoing a fleet modernization program to replace old vessels with new ones.
  • Span Asia 25
  • Span Asia 31
  • Span Asia 37
  • Span Asia 39
  • Span Asia 50
  • Span Asia 51
  • Span Asia 52
  • Span Asia 53
  • Span Asia 55
  • Span Asia 59
  • Span Asia 70
  • Span Asia 71
  • Span Asia 72
  • Span Asia 73
  • Span Asia 75
  • Span Asia 77
  • '''Span Asia 79'''

Former Fleet

This list includes all of the ships that were part of Philippine Span Asia Carrier Inc. and Sulpicio Lines:

Roll on/Roll off (RORO)

Cruisers

Other Vessels

  • Don Alberto
  • Don Manuel
  • Don Enrique
  • Don Carlos
  • Don Camillo
  • Don Lorenzo
  • Don Alfredo
  • Doña Vicenta
  • Doña Gloria
  • Doña Pamela
  • '''Doña Angelina'''

Cargo Vessels

  • Span Asia 1
  • Span Asia 2
  • Span Asia 3
  • Span Asia 5
  • Span Asia 7
  • Span Asia 9
  • Span Asia 10
  • Span Asia 11
  • Span Asia 12
  • Span Asia 14
  • Span Asia 15
  • Span Asia 16
  • Span Asia 17
  • Span Asia 19
  • Span Asia 20
  • Span Asia 21
  • Span Asia 22
  • Span Asia 23
  • Span Asia 27
  • Span Asia 29
  • Span Asia 30
  • Span Asia 32
  • Span Asia 33
  • Span Asia 35
  • Sulpicio Express Uno
  • Sulpicio Container I
  • Sulpicio Container II
  • Sulpicio Container III
  • Sulpicio Container IV
  • Sulpicio Container V
  • Sulpicio Container VII
  • Sulpicio Container VIII
  • Sulpicio Container IX
  • Sulpicio Container X
  • Sulpicio Container XI
  • Sulpicio Container XII
  • Sulpicio Container XIV
  • '''Sulpicio Container XV'''

Tugboats

  • Edmund
  • '''Sulpicio Tug'''