Marina opens 19 new Ro-Ro missionary routes
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has opened 19 new Rollon / Roll-off (RoRo) missionary routes to upgrade the domestic shipping industry and support nautical highway development – one of the eight priority programs of the 10-year maritime industry development plan (MIDP).
The new RoRo missionary routes include: 1) Basco, Batanes – Currimao, Ilocos Norte; 2) Batangas City – San Jose, Occidental Mindoro;3) San Juan, Batangas – Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro; 4) Real, Quezon – Polillo Island, Quezon; 5) Lucena, Quezon – Odiongan, Romblon; 6) Lucena, Quezon - Buyabod, Marinduque; 7) Lucena, Quezon – Romblon, Romblon and 8) Lucena, Quezon – Masbate City.
Also included are: 9) Maasin, Southern Leyte – Ubay, Bohol; 10) San Narciso, Quezon – San Pascual, Masbate; 11) Pantao, Albay – San Pascual, Masbate; 12) Calbayog City, Samar – Cataingan, Masbate; 13) Taytay, Palawan – Cuyo, Palawan; 14) Cuyo, Palawan – San Jose de Buenavista, Antique; 15) Oslob, Cebu – Dumaguete, Negros Oriental; 16) Punta Engano, Mactan Island, Cebu – Jetafe, Bohol; 17) Poro, Camotes, Cebu – Isabel, Leyte; 18) Lipata, Surigao del Norte – Dapa, Surigao del Norte and 19) Siaton, Negros Oriental – Dipolog City.
A RoRo missionary route involves one or more direct links covering two RoRo-capable ports that have no existing shipping service due to geographic limitation or absence of market viability.
Shipping companies who serve missionary routes can enjoy protection of their investment for five years and 50% discount on the regular fees of all applications and renewal of ship documents, licenses, certificates, and permits.
The Marina encourages shipping companies to operate in any of the newly-opened RoRo missionary routes to enhance the country’s Road RoRo Terminal System (RRTS).
The RRTS is a seamless stretch of roads and ports to improve inter-island transportation, enhance tourism, and expand regional markets, among others.
Aside from serving new RoRo missionary routes, the agency also encourages shipping companies to propose new links with RoRo-capable ports for the further development of the Philippine domestic shipping industry.