The Philippine Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has allowed 2Go Group, Inc. to operate a Manila-Iloilo-Zamboanga-General Santos-Davao service to serve passengers expected to flock to these ports during this year’s observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Marina in a statement said it has issued a special permit allowing the reopening of the route after 2Go submitted an application. The permit allows 2Go to initially serve the route from October 21 to 31 to cater to passengers who are expected to flock to these ports during Undas.
The special permit for the initial service was issued while the particular 2Go vessel that will officially serve the route is still undergoing final repairs and while the shipping company waits for the result of the hearing before it is issued a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC). Shipping lines have to apply with Marina first before starting a service and their application will undergo a hearing. If there are no objections, they will be issued a CPC to operate the service on the desired route.
Marina said the reopening of the Manila-Mindanao passenger ship route presents a cheaper transport option for passengers. Once the service gets its CPC, a sea trip ticket serving the identified Manila-Mindanao routes may be purchased for as low as P2,600, Marina said.
This is less expensive compared to a one-way air trip ticket from Manila bound for Davao City and vice versa, which amounts to about P3,000 to P5,000 only, and to riding multiple ships to transfer from one port to another to get to Mindanao from Manila and back, which is even more expensive than air travel.
The maritime authority said the reopening of the route is in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to provide a safe, convenient, and comfortable means of transportation to passengers living in far-flung areas. Marina said it continues to work on bringing more passenger shipping services to unserved coastal areas, islands, or regions in the country where sea transport is needed to move people, goods, and services.
