THE maiden voyage of Super Shuttle Ferry’s (SSF) roll-on, roll-off (roro) vessel from Liloan port to Camotes Islands scheduled Thursday, April 20, 2023, has been postponed.
Eric Lim, the highest official of Topline, which operates the Pier 88 in Liloan town, said that the port is not yet ready because deeper water is required for the roro vessel to dock.
Lim met with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Wednesday, April 19, to ask her to give them four weeks to finish the dredging activities for three berthing spaces for the passenger roro ships that will travel to Camotes via Poro port and can also accommodate trucks and passenger buses.
The new boat trips from Liloan to Camotes is expected to boost tourism and economic activity in Camotes, which is known for its beautiful beaches.
The governor claimed that the opening of Liloan port at the end of May or early June is not appropriate for the summer vacation, when both local and foreign tourists flock to Camotes for leisure activities.
She also lamented the situation, saying many would have wanted to visit the island following the recently-concluded Camotes leg of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo package initiated by Cebu Provincial Government and participated by Senator Robin Padilla, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco and nearly 400 guests from all over the country.
Garcia wanted to have an alternate route to Camotes Islands because the other port available is in Danao City, which is 35 kilometers from Cebu City. (PAC, TPT)