(MindaNews / 14 June) – A Roll-on Roll-Off (RoRo) vessel directly plying Mindanao and Luzon has been operationalized to address the disruptions caused by the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, especially on heavy cargo trucks that transport goods to both points.
Froilan Caturla, manager of the Philippine Ports Authority-Surigao, said that Seen Sam Shipping Inc. launched last Thursday, June 12, the RoRo service amid the disruptions caused by the repair works on San Juanico Bridge on the movement of goods and people.
The 2.16-kilometer San Juanico Bridge serves as the only permanent land link between the islands of Samar and Leyte and a key component of the Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway/AH26), which connects Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
“This is the first RoRo service that connects Luzon and Mindanao without having to pass through Samar and Leyte. This is an alternative route that seeks to ease the heavy traffic and long queue at the port near San Juanico Bridge,” the PPA said in a Facebook post on Friday.
The San Juanico Bridge implemented a three-ton load limit last May 15 in line with the rehabilitation works for the bridge.
Caturla and Allan Yap, PPA Lipata Port Terminal manager, welcomed the arrival of MV 1018, a new Landing Craft Transport with a length of 85 meters and gross registered tonnage of 2,024 metric tons.
MV 1018 can accommodate 37 10-wheeler trucks and five six-wheeler vehicles, according to Edwin Bordaje operations manager of Seen Sam Shipping.
The travel time between Lipata Ferry Terminal in Surigao City and Port of Bulan in Sorsogon is estimated to take 21 hours.
The freight charges are P18,000 for six-wheeler Bongo vehicles, P30,000 for Canter Elf and forward trucks, P40,000 for 20-footer trailers and P115,000 for trailer trucks loaded with heavy equipment, the PPA said.
Caturla said that another RoRo vessel from the same shipping company would service the route in the coming weeks.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has declared a state of calamity in Eastern Visayas for about one year to hasten the repair and rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge and mitigate the impact on the residents of Samar and Leyte.
Marcos said the state of calamity for one year began on June 5, unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant.
Through Proclamation No. 920 dated June 5, 2025, Marcos noted the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to declare a state of calamity in Region VIII due to the compromised state of the San Juanico Bridge.
Under Proclamation No. 920, Marcos directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in coordination with concerned local government units to “expedite all measures necessary to repair and rehabilitate the San Juanico Bridge fully.”
The President also ordered the Department of Budget and Management to assist the DPWH in “identifying appropriate and sufficient funding sources” to support the repair and rehabilitation of the vital bridge.
“The declaration of a State of Calamity will, among others, hasten the repair and rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, and afford the National Government, as well as local government units (LGUs), ample latitude to utilize appropriate funds for the repair and safety upgrading of the subject public infrastructure,” the proclamation read.
Marcos said the DPWH assessment found San Juanico Bridge to be in critical condition, prompting the imposition of a strict three-ton vehicle load limit.
The restriction has effectively halted the passage of heavy cargo vehicles, disrupting the transport of food, medicine, agricultural products, construction materials, and other essential commodities across Eastern Visayas, and between Mindanao and Luzon. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
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