TACLOBAN CITY– Cheryl Pascua, regional director of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Region 8, pledged to expedite special permits for ship companies seeking new routes due to the 3-ton weight limit restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.
Pascua is confident that more shipping lines will adopt new routes to alleviate the burden on the trucking industry and vehicles over three tons.
“Hopefully, more people will apply,” Pascua said.
MARINA has announced that ALD Sea Transport is now providing service for cargo trucks and other heavy vehicles on the route between GGC Port in Punta, Ormoc City, Leyte, and Maguino-o Port in Calbayog, Samar, and vice versa.
Anthero Doyon, chief operating officer of ALD Sea Transport, stated that the RoRo vessels can accommodate approximately 30 to 40 trucks operating in both directions between Ormoc and Calbayog.
Doyon also specified that the vessels are designated exclusively for cargo transport and do not carry passengers.
In addition to ALD Sea Transport, another shipping company registered in Cebu City has submitted a letter of intent to MARINA.
The trucking industry has raised concerns about limited access to the San Juanico Bridge. If fully funded, its rehabilitation will take two years.
DPWH-8 proposed two budget rehabilitation options: a total closure estimated to cost P5.2 billion or a partial closure costing P6.9 billion.
As of April 2025, traffic counts showed around 14,061 vehicles, of which 1,396 were heavy vehicles. (CBA, PIA-8)
