By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Four private shipping companies have been ordered to send vessels that would serve the Iloilo-Guimaras route following the capsizing of three motor bancas at the height of a weather disturbance over the weekend which resulted in the death of at least 31 passengers.
“Aside from the four additional vessels to ply Iloilo-Guimaras route, the Marina coordinated with the (Philippine Navy) through the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Central Command to deploy BRP Ivatan on August 7 in order to augment the transport services currently needed in the said areas,” the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said in a statement Wednesday.
On Monday, Marina suspended all passenger motor bancas operating the Iloilo – Guimaras route as it conducts a thorough safety standards assessment and evaluation.
The private shipping vessels would augment the Philippine Navy’s BRP Ivatan on ferrying passengers to and from Iloilo and Guimaras.
In a directive pursuant to Section 12 of Presidential Decree 474 issued Monday (August 5, 2019), two Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessels from Montenegro Shipping Lines Inc. and Tri-Star Megalink Corp., and two fastcraft vessels from Ocean Fast Ferries Inc. and 2GO Group Inc. were ordered to augment the services on the said route.
Earlier, FF Cruz Shipping Corp. has been instructed to increase their trips from one to two RoRo round trips per hour in the said route.
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