A ferry tilted at sea forcing hundreds of passengers to return to port in the Philippines.

The MV Filipinas Cagayan de Oro was carrying 448 people as it set sail from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental province at around 8:05 pm on November 12.

However, the vessel bound for Cebu province was forced to turn back when it began listing near Laguindingan town amid turbulent weather conditions.

Footage shows the ship, which was reported to have tilted 10 degrees, docking at the Cagayan de Oro port.

The Coast Guard Station Cagayan de Oro said all passengers and crew were able to disembark safely when the ship returned at around 11:20 pm.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said initial investigations found that the vessel had encountered bad weather in the middle of the journey. The ship's cargo was also said to have been improperly secured, causing the weight to be distributed unevenly.

PCG spokesperson CG Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said a probe has been launched to investigate the safety protocols implemented by the shipping company Cokaliong Shipping Lines and its crew.

He said: 'This is to assure the public that we value the safety of the passengers and as much as possible incidents like this are prevented, especially now that the Christmas season is approaching where maritime traffic is increasing.'