On December 20, 1987, the passenger ferry MV Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait of the Philippines, creating a catastrophic inferno that claimed over 4,300 lives—nearly three times the death toll of the Titanic. Join Alice and Zach as they investigate how corporate negligence, regulatory failure, and a culture of overlooking safety standards converged to create the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history. Discover the harrowing stories of the 26 survivors who escaped burning waters, the families who fought for decades seeking justice, and why this tragedy—despite its massive scale—remains largely forgotten outside the Philippines.

Sources:

• "4,385 Souls Gone: The Nightmare Voyage of the Doña Paz" - Stunning History (YouTube documentary)
• "Burning at Sea: The Sinking of MV Doña Paz" - Philippines' Most Shocking Stories, Episode 6, ABS-CBN News
• "Asia's Titanic" - National Geographic Channel-Asia documentary
• "MV Doña Paz" - Wikipedia article
• "Hell at Sea: Remembering the Tragedy of the MV Doña Paz" - Nicai de Guzman, Esquire Magazine Philippines
• Philippine Coast Guard Marine Board of Inquiry Report - February 29, 1988
• Caltex Philippines v. Sulpicio Lines - Supreme Court of the Philippines, September 30, 1999
• Vector Shipping Corp. v. Macasa - Supreme Court of the Philippines, July 21, 2008
• "Doña Paz victims waiting for justice 25 years after" - Joey Gabieta, Philippine Daily Inquirer
• "MV Doña Paz survivor reunites with family after 25 years on 'Wish Ko Lang'" - GMA News, GMA Network
• RV Petrel Wreck Discovery Footage - Released December 19, 2019

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Credits:

Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.