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[av_heading heading=’MARINA DITCHES WOODEN BOATS
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BY RESEL JOY TIANERO
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ILOILO City – In two years’ time, wooden passenger vessels plying various routes in Western Visayas will no longer be operating.
Sea accidents mostly involve wooden vessels, thus their phaseout, explained Director Mary Ann Armi Arcilla of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Region 6.
The phaseout will be gradual, however. Marina acknowledged the financial challenges that wooden boat operators will face.
“We cannot push our operators to shift from wooden hull to steel hull or fiber glass hull (immediately),” said Arcilla, explaining that they may find it hard to find banking institutions that could lend them the needed money.
Marina is giving the operators a grace period of two years. By 2018, the agency hopes there would be no more wooden passenger vessels in Region 6.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Iloilo station manager Lieutenant Ramil Palabrica said majority of passenger boats plying Iloilo – Guimaras route and vice versa will be affected as most of them are made of wood.
He said 52 wooden passenger boats operate from Jordan, Guimaras to Iloilo City and vice versa while there are 56 operating from Iloilo City to Buenavista, Guimaras and vice versa.
Palabrica said wooden passenger boats plying the following sea routes will also be affected:
* Victorias City, Negros Occidental to Ajuy, Iloilo
* Pulupandan, Negros Occidental to Guimaras
* Cadiz City, Negros Occidental to Bantayan, Cebu, and
* Caticlan, Malay, Aklan to Boracay Island.
Still, Palabrica expressed support to the phaseout. He said passenger safety is paramount.
Arcilla, however, clarified there will be exemptions.
“Ang mga motor banca nga naga-ply sa tourist areas like ang Guimaras, exempted na sila. Ang mga banca to Boracay exempted man na sila,” she clarified.
“Except kun layo, like Roxas City to Masbate province. The wooden boats there really have to be phased out kay rayo sang ila travel time,” Arcilla said.
Boat ride from Roxas City to Masbata is over two hours, she said.
Arcilla also said wooden cargo vessels are not covered by the phase-out. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
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