JORDAN, Guimaras – Around 630 motorcyclists joined the Jan. 24 “Charity Ride for the Sakayanons” initiated by the Guimaras Riders Group for the displaced crew of phased-out wooden-hulled motorboats here.
The proceeds of the fundraising will be used to purchase goods for the economically hard-up boatmen.
The ride started at 1 p.m. from the Buenavista wharf and passed through Jordan, Nueva Valencia, Sibunag, and San Lorenzo towns.
It ended at 4 p.m.
The participants and sponsors were given certificates of appreciation recognizing their invaluable support to the boatmen popularly called “sakayanon”.
The phase-out of over 90 wooden-hulled boats plying the Guimaras-Iloilo City route and vice versa resulted to the loss of livelihood of some 500 boatmen.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), however, is standing firm on its decision to cease the operation of wooden-hulled motorboats. It rejected the appeal of the provincial government of Guimaras to extend the Certificate of Public Convenience of the wooden boats which expired on Dec. 31, 2020.
“We can no longer delay the implementation of the phase-out program for wooden-hulled passenger ships under Memorandum Circular 2016-02,” read part of MARINA administrator Robert Empedrad to the provincial government of Guimaras.
For decades, wooden-hulled motorboats were the means of transport between Guimaras and Iloilo City./PN
