MARINA OPENS 19 RORO MISSIONARY ROUTES
Photo of a roro feery docking in Cagayan de Oro

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) 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 limitation and/or absence of market viability. The shipping company who will serve a missionary route may enjoy protection of investment for five years and 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. ###