RORO transport

The Philippine archipelago has been described as a jigsaw puzzle made up of more than 7,000 islands that must be pieced together through a nationwide road-nautical highway system. Without this system, people will continue to travel and transport goods from one island to another in a time-consuming, laborious, and costly  manner.

Thanks to President Arroyo’s issuance of Executive Order 170 promoting private sector investment in the Road-RORO Terminal System (RRTS) on Jan. 22, 2004, people and goods transport is faster and less expensive.

This columnist first heard about the RORO from President Arroyo herself, on  board the presidential plane that took us to Davao City for the inauguration of its international airport three years ago. The President said the RORO was revolutionizing the transport industry. In her State-of-the-Nation Address months later, she emphasized in her 10-point agenda that the RORO strategy was one of her “flagship” programs for promoting regional development, promoting agro-tourism, and reducing poverty and hunger.

Two weeks ago, a familiarization tour of the administration’s infrastructure projects in Mindanao with members of the Presidential Management Staff monitoring the projects and the Center for Research and Communication’s Transport and Logistics Institute of the University of  Asia and the Pacific, made the chairman of the Southern Philippines Development Authority and myself see the impact of the project.

The main concept behind the Road-RORO Terminal System is the “integration of the various islands through a seamless system of land and sea transport that forms part of the national highway network.”

Enrico Basilio, director of the CRC’s transport and logistics institute,  said the objectives of the RRTS are to reduce transport cost of goods from Mindanao to Luzon through the Visayas through a safe, efficient and cost-effective RRTS; to enhance tourism, transportation and commerce throughout the country, and to facilitate the government’s agro-fisheries modernization and food security programs.

RORO simply means roll-on, roll-off. This is a graphic description of the system that allows trucks carrying all sorts of goods to roll up (or drive up) to the platforms of inter-island vessels and roll down the platforms upon reaching designated ports and drive off to designated drop-off points (warehouses, distribution points or public markets).

Since the trucks carrying say, rice, corn, bananas or vegetables are already loaded at their points of origin, no handling fees are charged upon the rolling on and off of the RORO vessels. This system of no-cargo handling has meant substantial savings for transporters or owners of goods being shipped as opposed to the traditional shipping method which slap charges for cargo handling by kargadors.

Enrico showed us examples of transport cost reductions. Under the traditional shipping system using cargo handlers a truckload of fresh fruit would be charged P20,000 for transport cost, as opposed to the RORO shipping cost of P14,000 (this means savings of P6,000 under the RORO system). For electronic goods (semi-conductors), the traditional charge is P26,000, and the RORO charge is P14,000 (savings of P12,000); for motorcycles, the traditional  transport charge of  P95,000, is reduced to P50,000 (savings of P45,000). As for passengers, the fare is reduced by P150 per head to P70.

This “new business” philosophy, according to Enrico’s report on the RORO, results in “door to door” delivery, nationwide coverage (to any point in the Philippines), faster and more efficient delivery of goods (from perishables to fertilizers).  

The Road-RORO Terminal System is an integral part of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway network. This means that travel is made by land and sea. Bus companies unload passengers at RORO terminals and passengers continue their journey by sea, taking  RORO vessels from Manila to Dapitan, Mindanao (with stops in the Visayas islands); from Batangas to Palawan, and from Surigao to Manila, and from  Manila to Misamis Oriental. One only needs to call shipping lines doing the RORO routes to find out how one can travel and ship goods to certain destinations. With swifter and lower fares, domestic tourism is encouraged.

Basilio said Nestle Philippines is happy about the rationalization of its distribution centers due to the extensive use of RORO, which enables direct deliveries to customers and clients. Nestle has reduced its 36 distribution to four centers.

RRTS terminals, said Basilio, serve as “area development” catalysts. He cited developments in Roxas City, such as the sprouting of hotels and lodging houses, financial institutions, a snack bar, an Internet café, a water refilling station, restaurants, townhouses and drug stores.

Several vessels operate under the RORO highway system, among them those belonging to Trans-Asia Shipping Lines, Inc., the Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc., and PHIL HARBOR. Bus companies servicing the SRNH are Philtranco Service Enterprises, Inc. and Ceres Lines.

Traveling by the RORO travel system can be fun. Try it.  

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The University of the Philippines High School Class of 1957, led by president for life Ernie Marcelo, will celebrate their 50th anniversary in the forthcoming annual homecoming of the UP Integrated School on Saturday, Dec. 8, to be held on the Diliman campus.

Class ’57 members will be honorees in this year’s UPIS homecoming entitled “Ginto’t Pilak Namumulaklak, Humahalakhak!” to be hosted by the Silver Jubilarians Class of ’82, led by Ada Abad. All alumni of UP High, UP Elementary, UP Prep and UPIS are expected to attend and make the event a roaring success.

When Class ’57 marked their silver jubilee in 1982, they donated the terrazzo tables and benches that are still in use today. This time they are donating computers and printers, and offering gifts of love to their surviving mentors. They also completed a Golden Edition of The Clarion, an update of the school annual, which will be available together with a replica of The Oblation to commemorate their milestone.

Prior to the official homecoming, Class ’57 has scheduled a number of activities especially for their balikbayan classmates. This includes an overnight stay in Sonya’s Secret Garden Bed & Breakfast. Another Class ’57 tradition is to welcome all classmates from 1953 to 57. Contact Fritzi for details at 9310056.

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