Tacloban: The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) will launch a complimentary roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) service between Tacloban and Samar starting June 18. This initiative is targeted at cargo trucks transporting essential and perishable goods as a response to the current load restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.
According to Philippines News Agency, OCD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Lord Byron Torrecarion emphasized that the free RoRo service aims to maintain a steady supply of food and other critical products in Leyte and Samar. The service will include a priority lane for essential goods, although space and operational hours are limited between Tacloban City and Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar.
Each RoRo vessel on this route can accommodate up to 30 trucks per trip across the San Juanico Strait, and currently, there is only one operational RoRo ramp at each port. The priority products for this service include fresh and frozen foods, fruits, vegetables, livestock, poultry, rice, fuel, and other necessary supplies as identified by the Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, and Energy.
The current cost for trucks crossing the San Juanico Strait on this new route is PHP3,000 per truck. Torrecarion noted that only six trips are made daily between Tacloban and Amandayehan village, allowing a mere 180 trucks to make the crossing. This is a significant reduction from the 1,400 trucks that traversed the San Juanico Bridge daily before the restrictions were imposed.
Torrecarion further explained that if 50 percent of these trucks opt for the Ormoc-Calbayog route, there would still be 700 trucks waiting to board the barge on both the Tacloban and Samar sides. Thus, there is a pressing need to open additional routes and increase the number of trips.
The free RoRo initiative is expected to last four to five months, with the possibility of extension depending on the availability of funds from the OCD. The new Amandayehan-Tacloban route significantly reduces travel time to 15-20 minutes, excluding loading and unloading, compared to the 13-hour Calbayog-Ormoc route. Shipping companies will prioritize trucks carrying dangerous, essential, and perishable goods on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additionally, the Philippine Ports Authority has allocated PHP400 million for the modernization and expansion of the Amandayehan Port this year. The funding includes PHP200 million for physical expansion, PHP100 million for dredging works, and PHP100 million for the installation of navigational buoys. These improvements will enable 24-hour operations for the Tacloban-Amandayehan route, potentially increasing the daily trips by six.
