Chan, Marina reps tackle water transport problem in Olango

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan discusses with a Marina official their plans to allow wooden hulled boats to ferry passengers from Olango Island to the mainland and back. | Photo courtesy of Lapu-Lapu PIO

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan together with representatives from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), has visited the Olango Island on Thursday morning, January 6, 2021.

This after Chan appealed to MARINA to allow wooden hull motor banca to ferry passengers and cargoes from mainland Lapu-Lapu to Olango Island, and vice-versa.

Earlier, MARINA disallowed the use of wooden hull pumpboats to ferry passengers for their safety, except if it would be utilized in tourism-related activities.

But after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Odette, Chan said that currently only one fast craft was operating in ferrying passengers from mainland Lapu-Lapu to Olango Island.

Chan said that other fast crafts had acquired some damage after the typhoon.

“Tungod kay lisod naman gud ang pag-travel sa atong mga tawo,” Chan said.

(This is because it is now difficult for our people to travel there.)

Those wooden hull pumpboats that would pass to the inspection of MARINA would be given a special permit, so that they could operate.

Aside from this, RORO barge operating in Punta Engaño wharf could not also dock, since the wharf was also damaged by the typhoon.

He also said that he already met with the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) to give him an update for the repair of the Punta Engaño wharf. However, Chan said that the repair would last for six months.

Chan said that they were already thinking of an alternative port where RORO barge could dock to ferry passengers and cargoes to Olango Island.

The first option of the mayor would be to utilize the port of Topline Express Ferries in barangay Ibo or the Cordova port in Cordova town.

“Karon lang, nagpahibawo ang tag-iya sa mga barge nga okay na, functional na ang Jomalia ug kadtong sa pamilyang Eyas. But the problem they cannot dock sa side sa Lapu-Lapu, so I already talk to Mayor Techie Cho to temporarily use their wharf in RORO Cordova,” he added.

(Now, the owner of the barge told me that the barge was already okay, Jomalia and those owned by the family of Eyas are already functional. But the problem (is) they cannot dock on the Lapu-Lapu side, so I already talked to Mayor Techie Cho to temporarily use their RORO wharf in Cordova.)

“Ang problema on that area, mag-agad ug high tide. If it is low tide, dili kaayo maka-dock,” he said.

(The problem on that side of the area is that they will depend on the high tide, if it is low tide, they could not dock.)

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