Established on February 20, 1985, it started with a small cargo vessel called MV Marao plying from Cebu to Iloilo containing rice and mixed cargo materials. Roble Shipping Inc. is now one of the major players in the Leyte and Samar routes. The shipping line has seven-passenger vessels of which five are roll-on/roll-off vessels, ten cargo vessels and four barges and tugboats.[1]
Roble Shipping Vessels
The founder and owner of Roble Shipping Inc., Jose L. Roble, Passed away on September 11, 2009, at the Cebu Doctors' University Hospital at the age of 62.
All of his sons and daughters now play important roles in steering the company.
The Duranos also helped in the early years in establishing the company.
In 2010, Roble Shipping Inc. moved all its operations to their new headquarters in Pier 7.
Fleet
Current fleet
Roble Shipping's fleet consists of 8 Roll-On Roll-Off vessels and 2 LCT and 8 Cargo Ships, including its sister company, Star Philippines Shipping Lines.
M/V Hilongos Diamond sunk within the Bato, Leyte Port
On January 3, 2008, The MV Heaven Star of the Roble Shipping Lines left Ormoc City about 11 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Cebu City port at 3 pm. The vessel stopped off Isabel town in Leyte at noon. The vessel suffered a mechanical problem after seawater got into its bunker fuel. The company's other vessel M/V Wonderful Stars followed up to M/V Heaven Star's location to tow it.[4]
On December 2, 2009, MV Wonderful Star collided with a foreign-owned cargo vessel MCC Sulo at 1:20 am. Saturday around 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km) from Liloan town, some 19 kilometers north of Cebu City. The MV Wonderful Star's port side (left side) catwalk railings were slightly damaged while MCC Sulo's starboard (right) bow had a slight scratch.[5]
On December 2, 2009 - M/V Wonderful Stars had a collision with a passenger-cargo vessel M/V Subic Bay 1 of the late Carlos A. Gothong Lines. The said vessel had gone sideways and sustained damages estimated to be within P600,000 to P700,000.[6]
On August 15, 2015, MV Wonderful Stars caught fire in the port of Ormoc City. No casualties were reported [7]
On June 2, 2021, LCT Jacqueline Star half-submerged due to onslaught of Tropical Storm Dante in Albuera, Leyte. No casualties reported [8]
On December 16, 2021, MV Oroquieta Stars capsized near Liloan, Cebu during the onslaught of Typhoon Rai.
On January 15, 2024, MV Star Sabang capsized in Bayangan Island, Labason, Zamboanga del Norte while sailing from Cebu City bound to Zamboanga City onboard 13 crews and loaded 20,000 sacks of cement.
On March 15, 2024, M/V Immaculate Stars, Collided with the M/V Doña Caroline Joy of Gothong Southern. Both ships suffered damages.
In April 2025, an out of control barge, collided with the M/V Claudine Stars, causing it to capsize in Pier 7, Mandaue.