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CEBU
CITY—President Arroyo met on Thursday with some 20
representatives of the shipping industry at the
Malacañang sa Sugbo to come up with recommendations and
solutions to the nightmare the halting of operations of
transport and cargo service provider Sulpicio Lines Inc.
(SLI) has caused to the shipping industry.
Pending
an investigation by the Board of Marine Inquiry,
operations of SLI, the second-largest ship operator in
the Philippines, was stopped shortly after its MV
Princess of the Stars capsized and sunk off the waters
of Sibuyan Island in Romblon at the height of typhoon
Frank’s onslaught in the Visayas region on June 21.
More
than 800 passengers and crew of the ill-fated ship lost
their lives in what has been called one of the worst
maritime disasters in the country’s history, Malacañang
said in a statement Thursday.
Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary
Leandro Mendoza, who was among the Cabinet secretaries
who joined the President in the closed-door meeting,
said in the statement that the “issues” discussed
touched on the transport and cargo ship shortage, the
resulting increase in cargo transportation fees and
labor concerns such as the possible closure of SLI
offices, layoffs, retrenchment.
“These
issues were discussed together with proposed solutions,”
Mendoza said.
On the
transport and cargo ship shortage, DOTC undersecretary
Ma. Elena Bautista, who together with Trade Secretary
Peter Favila and Presidential Management Staff head
Cerge Remonde joined Mendoza for the closed-door
meeting, said that the President wanted to ensure
businessmen that the government was doing everything to
maintain the movement of domestic and international
cargos despite the halting of SLI operations.
Bautista
said that several shipping companies had “committed” to
“fill the vacuum” left by SLI’s absence.
She said
Aboitiz Transport System Corp. and NMC Container Lines
will be fielding two ships each with 500 TEUs
(twenty-foot equivalent units) for ATS and 300 TEUs for
NMC.
Negros
Navigation Co. Inc., Bautista said, will be fielding one
ship that can service 2,500 TEUs.
“So,
itong mga barko na ito ay tutulong para maikot ang mga
kargamento sa buong bansa at hindi ma-apekto
dahil sa grounding ng vessels ng
Sulpicio,” Bautista said.
She
added that once the shipping companies are able to field
in their commitments, cargo and transportation fees will
go down accordingly. |
