All is set for the start of the roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) operations on Friday, June 20 at the Tambobo Port in barangay Bonbonon in the town of Siaton — about 42 kilometers south of Dumaguete — which is seen as an immediate answer to the surge of trucks diverted here from the San Juanico Bridge in Tacloban City.
On Friday, the Tambobo Port was inaugurated ahead of the maiden voyage of the M/V Ocean 6 with the cargo vessel initially having a daily run to the Pulauan Port in Dapitan and back.
Mary Louise Macalino, port services manager and OIC of the Philippine Ports Authority in Negros Oriental, said during a press conference that they will deploy people to the Tambobo Port to ensure seamless operations despite limited preparation time.
“We are glad to inform the public that anytime next week, based on the message from the shipping lines, they will be starting the first voyage of the LCT [landing craft tank] that will be deployed here at the Siaton port,” Macalino said.
PPA, which is mandated to operate the port, will provide manpower and security personnel to the Tambobo Port, although an office has yet to be established.
She assured that the port facilities, including a RoRo ramp, are ready for the first-ever trip connecting Siaton to Mindanao and vice versa.
Last year, the PPA undertook a dredging project at the entrance to the Tambobo Bay to allow bigger vessels to access the port.
Macalino said there is enough berthing space to accommodate the RoRo vessel and the fishing boats that have since been using the port.
Siaton Mayor Fritz Cezanne Diaz said his local administration had long since rallied PPA to dredge the channel so the port could be fully maximized, but the project was stalled due to political and environmental concerns raised by some quarters.
Diaz, who is vice governor-elect of Negros Oriental, said he would be supporting the project even as he is set to step down as mayor at the end of June.
He said he is optimistic that with the Tambobo Port being fully operational in the future, it would spur economic activity and provide livelihood for his constituents and also benefit many others in the province.
Edward Du, president of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said he is thankful to E-Motion Logistics Services for responding to the call to deploy a RoRo vessel in Siaton to decongest this capital city of huge trucks.
Du said the Ocean 6 can accommodate at least 30 trucks at one time.
“This is a classic example of the private sector responding to the call of government in times of crisis, and we hope that more vessels will be calling at Tambobo Port in the future,” he said.
Du also thanked the Maritime Industry Authority for acting immediately on the request for a Certificate of Public Conveyance for Ocean 6 to ply the Siaton (Tambobo Port) to Dapitan City (Pulauan Port) route.
Meanwhile, a temporary holding area for trucks has been identified near the Tambobo Port.
Several trucks have lined up for the maiden voyage of the Ocean 6 next week.
Du said online booking with the use of QR codes is being utilized by the shipping line to ensure that everyone can be accommodated, and to avoid unnecessary long queues of trucks coming to Negros Oriental en route to Mindanao.
The imposition of a three-ton load limit on San Juanico Bridge earlier in May due to structural concerns had caused significant logistical disruptions in the nearby provinces, including Negros Oriental. (Judy F. Partlow)
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Photo Caption: Siaton Mayor Fritz Diaz and Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Edward Du lead stakeholders in opening the new RoRo route from Tambobo Bay to Dipolog. (Contributed photo)
