The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) will open eight more roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) missionary routes to support the Philippines’ Road RoRo Terminal System (RRTS).
At the latest oversight meeting of the House Committee on Transportation, Marina officer-in-charge Narciso Vingson, Jr. presented the eight industry-proposed RoRo missionary routes, all proposed by shipping operators, in addition to the 19 opened in January 2019.
The eight new RoRo missionary routes are Daanbantayan, Cebu to Calbayog City, Samar; Tabuelan, Cebu to Ajuy, Iloilo; Laoay, Bohol to Cagayan de Oro; San Juan, Batangas to Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; Iloilo City to Cuyo, Palawan; San Pascual, Burias Island, Masbate to Pasacao, Camarines Sur; San Andres, Quezon to Pasacao, Camarines Sur; and Lucena, Quezon to San Fernando, Cebu.
Marina said it will issue a letter of approval giving a proponent shipping operator four months to start vessel operation on its proposed route, while processing the acquisition of its Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).
Once it is granted the CPC, the proponent shipping operator of the missionary route shall enjoy a five-year route protection or protection of investment as well as a 50% discount on the regular processing fees for all applications and renewal.
In February 2019, seven of the 19 newly opened RoRo missionary routes already got applications from shipping operators interested to operate on the unserved routes of the Philippine nautical highway.
The other 12 RoRo missionary routes that have been opened for prospective shipping operators include Basco, Batanes-Currimao, Ilocos Norte; San Juan, Batangas-Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro; Real, Quezon-Polillo Island, Quezon; Lucena, Quezon-Buyabod, Marinduque; Pantao, Albay-San Pascual, Masbate; Calbayog City, Samar-Cataingan, Masbate; Cuyo, Palawan-San Jose de Buenavista, Antique; Oslob, Cebu-Dumaguete, Negros Oriental; Punta Engano, Mactan Island, Cebu-Jetafe, Bohol; Poro, Camotes, Cebu-Isabel, Leyte; Lipata, Surigao del Norte-Dapa, Surigao del Norte; and Siaton, Negros Oriental-Dipolog City.
Opening RoRo missionary routes is one of Marina’s measures not just to upgrade the domestic shipping industry but also to support Philippine nautical highway development, which is one of the eight priority programs under the 10-year Maritime Industry Development Plan.
The 19 are part of lateral RoRo routes, which have more or less 140 links, and which are on top of the 27 routes on the three main Eastern, Central, and Western nautical highways under RRTS.
A system of roads and ports developed by the Philippine government to connect the major islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the RRTS opened to the public on April 12, 2003 as the Strong Republic Nautical Highway.
Marina is still encouraging shipping lines to propose new missionary routes that can be developed in addition to the existing ones on the list. – Roumina Pablo
