To bring down the cost of transporting goods and commodities from Mindanao to other parts of the country via the roll-on, roll-off (Roro) shipping system, the leadership of the House of Representatives has bared the opening of seven Roro route this year.
Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in a news statement following an Oversight Committee hearing on transportation in Cebu City, said the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) revealed that several companies have applied to serve the new Roro routes.
Arroyo earlier said there were several unserved routes in the Roro system.
The Oversight Committee hearing, Arroyo added, tackled surrounding issues affecting the Roro with emphasis on how to make it more efficient to bring down the prices of goods.
“The reason we put up the Roro system is we want to bring the cost of transporting food from Mindanao, where it’s plentiful, to the Visayas and Luzon. And we hope that we’ll continue to reap [its] fruits,” he said.
During the hearing, Arroyo said, it was revealed that except for those using 10-wheeler trucks, the cost of transporting goods is more expensive through the Roro than other modes of transport.
This is due to several factors, including logistics, weighing methods, lack of reefer vans and trucker fees, she added.
Arroyo also said that exorbitant fees are being collected for the use of weighing scales, prompting her to ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to take over the operation of weighing scales.
“We will try to have another hearing to find out if the DPWH can be the one to take over the weighing,” she said.
Earlier, the House Committee on Transportation created a technical working group (TWG) to assess the status of Roro Port System missionary routes.
Arroyo launched the Roro system during her Palace term in 2003, which connected the three main islands of the Philippines.
The TWG, to be chaired by Arroyo, shall oversee the Marina as it acts on the committee’s suggestion to sell to the private sector the Roro routes that are not being plied.
According to Marina Officer in Charge Administrator Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr., the agency has identified 21 missionary Roro routes that may be sold to private operators.
Unavailability
Moreover, the committee also discussed another issue that jacks up the costs of transport brought about by the unavailability of reefer vans for perishable goods.
However, Arroyo said it was revealed that there is actually an excess of vans at present.
According to Arroyo, there are compartmentalized reefer vans that may be utilized by farmers. She then urged the Department of Agriculture to make accessible this information available to farmers to enable them to use the reefer vans.
On the fees imposed by the truckers, Arroyo, meanwhile, said that another Oversight Committee hearing will be called to specifically tackle their issue.