JORDAN, Guimaras – The Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of this town challenged officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to take boat trips to Guimaras daily without special treatment.
This should make them experience firsthand the difficulty that ordinary people go through everyday crossing the Iloilo Strait, said SB member Hernane Galvez who introduced a resolution issuing the challenge.
Officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT) were also called out.
On Jan. 1, MARINA grounded all wooden-hulled boats servicing the Iloilo City – Guimaras route and vice versa. Their Certificate of Public Convenience (CPN) already expired.
The agency has no plan to renew the CPN, citing its modernization program phasing out wooden boats due to safety concerns.
Currently, only 10 vessels are servicing the Iloilo City – Guimaras route, resulting to a glut in passengers at the wharves in Iloilo City and Guimaras. MARINA, however, said the 10 vessels were already sufficient.
The Jordan SB resolution issuing the challenge to MARINA and DOT was approved on Jan. 6. Six of the 11 SB members present voted for its passage.
“It is sincerely believed that MARINA officials will realize the evil effects of their decisions with the wooden hulls…if they could personally experience the agony of crossing the Iloilo-Guimaras Straight,” read part of the SB resolution.
It lamented that MARINA “miserably failed to anticipate the irreparable impact on the daily lives and activities of all Guimarasnons and Ilonggos when they issued an order effectively stopping the operation of numerous wooden hulled motorized bancas…”/PN
