ILOILO City – An international container line based in Thailand and Singapore has set sail on its maiden voyage, becoming the first international carrier to expand services at the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex in Barangay Loboc, Lapuz district.
Mayor Jerry Treñas welcomed the first international carrier arriving in the Iloilo City international port this Saturday.
“I am very happy that this has finally come to fruition. We have worked so hard for this and we welcome the milestone in the economy of Iloilo. This is the start of a new level in Iloilo’s economy. The city government is fully supportive of this development,” Treñas said.
The Regional Container Lines (RCL) noted they chose to expand services in Iloilo City as it is a highly urbanized city with diverse and fruitful industries, contributing to the city government’s efforts in boosting the economy.
“Tomorrow will be our maiden voyage for the Iloilo call. As an international container line, we are basically connecting Iloilo to the rest of the world; this is the farm-to-market road by the seas for Iloilo,” Marlon Isah de Guzman, RCL general manager, said on Friday.
Speaking before participants of the “Usapang Exports” of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel here, de Guzman said Singapore is considered the biggest transshipment hub in the world.
Export and import businesses from Iloilo can connect to 600 port potential markets via Singapore rather than going through domestic carriers via Cebu or Manila.
During their maiden voyage, they brought 50 containers of rice from Vietnam.
De Guzman said they are also looking for other items like construction materials to bring to Iloilo because of the construction boom here.
“With the construction booming, materials from China, from Thailand could go in,” he added.
They will be traveling to Iloilo every two weeks. From Singapore, the container line will first dock at the Iloilo port then move to Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga and back to Singapore.
De Guzman said the travel time takes around four to five days from Singapore to Iloilo, thus impacting the transportation rate and the cost of goods.
Without direct transportation, they have to pass via Manila or Cebu, which will take five days of travel, and another three to four days going to Iloilo if there is available transportation.
The discussion for their entry to Iloilo started three years ago with the help of the business sector, the DTI, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office, and the Office of the Iloilo City Mayor. (With a report from Philippine News Agency)/PN
