
<p>
The Doña Paz was built in 1963 by Onomichi Zosen of Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan, and was originally named Himeyuri Maru. During the time it plied Japanese waters, it had a passenger capacity of 608 people. In 1975, it was sold to Sulpicio Lines, a Filipino operator of a fleet of passenger ferries. It was renamed by Sulpicio Lines as the Don Sulpicio, and later, the Doña Paz.
</p>
<p>
One month before the accident, the vessel had undergone drydocking. 
</p>
<p>
At the time of its sinking, the Doña Paz was plying the route of Manila → Tacloban → Catbalogan → Manila → Catbalogan → Tacloban → Manila, making trips twice a week.
</p>

<p>
The National Geographic premiered a documentary of this tragedy calling it  <a href="http://natgeotv.com/asia/asias-titanic" class="news_link" target="_blank" title="Asia's Titanic">Asia's Titanic</a>.
</p>

<h4>
Source:
</h4>
<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
Philippine News Agency archives
</li>
<li>
Wikipedia
</li>
<li>
Photo credit:  Wikipedia
</li>
</ol>





December 20, 1987: MV Doña Paz sank after colliding with oil tanker MT Vector