Wooden-hull boats back on Guimaras-Iloilo route
Published Aug 13, 2019 09:56 am
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY—Regular trips of motorized wooden-hull passenger boats between the island province of Guimaras and this city resumed Tuesday 11 days after sea tragedy that killed 31 people.
ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL—Passengers disembark at the wharf in Iloilo City Tuesday as sea trips of native motorized boats between Guimaras island and Iloilo City has resumed after the August 3 sea tragedy that killed 31 people. Transportation Secretary Tugade lifted the suspension amidst clamor complaints from thousands of affected passengers that alternative transportation via ferries and RoRo ships are very expensive. (Tara Yap)
Thousands of passengers took the 15-minute trip across the Iloilo Strait after Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade lifted the suspension on small pumpboats.
“It’s good the trips are back. It was such a hassle for the people of Guimaras,” Arthur Castillo, a 61-year-old from Jordan town.
“We are grateful the normal trips are back,” said Jocelyn Gabion, a 59-year-old from Buenavista town.
Tugade lifted the suspension less than 24 hours after Guimaras Gov. Samuel Gumarin appealed to President Duterte to allow motorized bancas to carry passengers between Guimaras and this city.
After August 4, the day after the capsizing of three wooden-hull boats in the strait, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) only allowed steel-hull ferries and roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) ships on the Guimaras-Iloilo route.
Despite the alternate transport schemes, Gumarin noted how Guimaras had a “significant and apparent transportation disruption” as it is highly inconvenient and expensive.
For almost 10 days, passengers had to stand in line at the port for four hours to be able to ride the ferries or RoRo ships. The fares were more than double of the price of the motorized bancas, which was only P15.
With Tuesday’s resumption, new safety rules were also introduced.
Commodore Allan Dela Vega, Coast Guard commander for Western Visayas, said that boats can only sail during fair weather, their capacity limited to 75 percent and their passengers required to wear life vests.
The tarpaulin which serves as roofing material of the boat, must be rolled up and are exposed directly to the harsh sunlight.
Two hours after the trips were resumed, one boat was flagged by the Coast Guard because some passengers were not wearing life vests.
Dela Vega urged both passengers and boat operators to abide by the new safety rules.
ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL—Passengers disembark at the wharf in Iloilo City Tuesday as sea trips of native motorized boats between Guimaras island and Iloilo City has resumed after the August 3 sea tragedy that killed 31 people. Transportation Secretary Tugade lifted the suspension amidst clamor complaints from thousands of affected passengers that alternative transportation via ferries and RoRo ships are very expensive. (Tara Yap)
Thousands of passengers took the 15-minute trip across the Iloilo Strait after Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade lifted the suspension on small pumpboats.
“It’s good the trips are back. It was such a hassle for the people of Guimaras,” Arthur Castillo, a 61-year-old from Jordan town.
“We are grateful the normal trips are back,” said Jocelyn Gabion, a 59-year-old from Buenavista town.
Tugade lifted the suspension less than 24 hours after Guimaras Gov. Samuel Gumarin appealed to President Duterte to allow motorized bancas to carry passengers between Guimaras and this city.
After August 4, the day after the capsizing of three wooden-hull boats in the strait, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) only allowed steel-hull ferries and roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) ships on the Guimaras-Iloilo route.
Despite the alternate transport schemes, Gumarin noted how Guimaras had a “significant and apparent transportation disruption” as it is highly inconvenient and expensive.
For almost 10 days, passengers had to stand in line at the port for four hours to be able to ride the ferries or RoRo ships. The fares were more than double of the price of the motorized bancas, which was only P15.
With Tuesday’s resumption, new safety rules were also introduced.
Commodore Allan Dela Vega, Coast Guard commander for Western Visayas, said that boats can only sail during fair weather, their capacity limited to 75 percent and their passengers required to wear life vests.
The tarpaulin which serves as roofing material of the boat, must be rolled up and are exposed directly to the harsh sunlight.
Two hours after the trips were resumed, one boat was flagged by the Coast Guard because some passengers were not wearing life vests.
Dela Vega urged both passengers and boat operators to abide by the new safety rules.