SRN Fast Seacrafts, Inc. which operates the Weesam Express ferry line, is a company based in Zamboanga City, Philippines that operates ferries throughout the country.
The company was founded and headed by Hadji Ahmad W. Sakaluran and Hadji Wahab A. Amil his nephew in Zamboanga City. Established on April 17, 1997, it started with a vessel plying from Zamboanga City to Sandakan, Malaysia, making Weesam one of the initial shipping companies plying the BIMP-EAGA route directly from Zamboanga City to Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
It was during the inaugural voyage of MS Express (a passenger ferry boat of A. Sakaluran Shipping Corporation) headed by Hadji Ahmad W. Sakaluran as their President, last February 19, 1997 and Hadji Wahab A. Amil, a nephew of Hadji Ahmad W. Sakaluran was a guest, that when they were able to conferred later, Hadji Ahmad W. Sakaluran suggested to Hadji Wahab A. Amil that he can also partake in this type of business as the sea is a big area for all of them. It was during this talk that my name was suggested by Hadji Ahmad W. Sakaluran to prepare all the documents necessary for an entity to operate a passenger ferry boat within Zamboanga City.
The Weesam Express was started April 17, 1997, when the main proponent, Hadji Wahab A. Amil helped create a company to operate a passenger ferry boats in the southern Philippines. On May 13, 1997 the SRN Fast Seacrafts, Inc. was formally organized with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SRN Fast Seacrafts was then working with the MV Lady Mary Joy 1 of Aleson Shipping Lines as its "Hepe De Viaje" (Chief of the cruise). It was the only ship then plying the BIMP-EAGA route[1][2] directly from Zamboanga City to Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia and vice versa route.[3] A few days later, the undersigned arrived from Sandakan which prompted the beginning of organizing a company to manage a passenger ferry boat.
Passenger ferry boats were acquired the Yong Choo Kui Shipyard in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. The first passenger steel hull boat was acquired from the operator of the Bullet Express. Upon acquisition, it was renamed as MV Weesam Express, named after the youngest son of Hadji Wahab A. Amil, Weesam. The inaugural voyage of the seacraft was on September 21, 1997, from Zamboanga City to Jolo, Sulu.
They soon expanded to Visayan waters with the acquisition of their succeeding Weesam ships. New routes included Cebu City to Ormoc and Cebu City to Dumaguete to Dapitan. However, their Zamboanga City - Sandakan, Malaysia route was later abandoned due to Aleson Shipping Lines cheaper rates. Later on, they introduced new routes for Basilan through Zamboanga City - Isabela City route.
On July 23, 2013, Weesam Express 7 was tossed by the waves and strong winds at around 8:00 in the morning while it was about to leave from Ormoc to Cebu. The fast craft reportedly failed to start and it floated away, hapless to the merciless elements. It ran aground at Bagsakan in Brgy. Alegria, around 10 meters from shore and 100 meters away from the port. Some of the passengers, including a 63-year old foreign national had to be brought to the hospital for hypertension due to the incident.[9]
On January 23, 2014, Weesam Express 7 with at least 160 passengers aboard yet again ran aground off Talisay in Cebu province. All passengers had been rescued. A week later, the vessel was temporarily suspended by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) over seaworthiness issues.[10][11]
