MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), an attached agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), has opened 19 new Roll-on / Roll-off (RoRo) missionary routes to upgrade the domestic shipping industry in support of the nautical highway development – one of the eight priority programs of the 10-year maritime industry development plan (MIDP).
These new RoRo missionary routes include the following:
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
8 )Lucena, Quezon – Masbate City
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
19) Siaton, Negros Oriental – Dipolog City
The MARINA encourages shipping companies to operate in any of the newly-opened RoRo missionary routes in support of the enhancement of the country’s Road RoRo Terminal System (RRTS), a seamless stretch of roads and ports to improve inter-island transportation, enhance tourism, and expand regional markets, among others.
A RoRo missionary route involves one or more direct links covering two RoRo-capable ports that have no existing shipping service due to geographic limitations and/or absence of market viability. The shipping company that will serve a missionary route may enjoy the protection of investment for five years and a 50% discount on the regular fees of all applications and renewal of ship documents, licenses, certificates, and permits.
Aside from serving new RoRo missionary routes, shipping companies are also encouraged to propose new links with RoRo-capable ports for the further development of the Philippine domestic shipping industry.
