TO SERVE ISOLATED ISLAND BARANGAY

BOLINAO–The municipal government here has appealed to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and other concerned agencies to allow a landing barge here to resume operations even to simply ferry missionary services in seven barangays in Santiago Island inhabited by 21,000 residents.

In his letter dated April 3, 2019 to MARINA Director Jose Venancio Jr., Mayor Arnold Celeste said since the landing barge of the Philippine Navy stopped ferrying passengers going to and fro Santiago Island, the place has not been favored with government infrastructure projects for 13 years. 

“Numerous requests for its replacement were of no avail,” Celeste said.

He added that it was only in 2013 when LCT Palaway, a privately-owned landing barge, was procured by private individuals that development came to Santiago Island but has been operating depending only on donations for its continued operations.

Celeste appealed that LCT Palaway already be allowed to operate pending the issuance of permit and completion of the required dry-docking which could still take months.

“The people of Santiago Island who rely on LCT Palaway as a means of transport for their basic needs will suffer and be greatly affected, not to mention the enormous economic opportunities that will be lost by the suspension of its operations,” Celeste said.

Meanwhile, the mayor belied the claim of Gov. Amado Espino III in his January 30, 2019 letter to Admiral Elson Hermogino of the Philippine Caost Guard, that the landing barge that used to operate is a monopoly. “This is not true. Santiago Island is and has always been accessible to all ferries and motorboats as it only takes a few minutes to cross,” Celeste said.

From where the barge was docked in Guiguiwanen going to Santiago Island, Celeste said barge passengers are charged only P10 compared to a boat rental of P150.

Espino said the Philippine Navy used to operate a landing craft for 30 years but was removed by former officials of the municipality of Bolinao in favor of a privately-owned barge that charges exorbitant fees and worse, determines arbitrarily who among the residents or which vehicles will be allowed to use the barge.

But Celeste said the governor was misinformed because the Navy barge stopped operating in year 2000 and LCT Palaway only started in 2013 as a missionary project of the owners to enable government to implement projects in Santiago Island after numerous resolutions requesting the Philippine Navy to replace said barge were not acted on.

The governor pointed out that his office had also written the Philippine Navy to provide and operate a landing craft or barge to transport the residents to and from Santiago Island.

While Espino said the assistance of the Office of the President, DPWH and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority were already sought for the construction of a bridge in Santiago Island using the dismantled structures of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge (Rockwell Bridge), Celeste said the idea seems absurd since the bridge was installed over a river while the proposed Santiago Island-mainland will be over the Kakiputan Channel. (PhilStar Wire Service)

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