PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area’s (BIMP-EAGA) Palawan-Kudat roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) sea trade link has been scheduled to have a dry run on February 18-21.
Gil Acosta Jr., Palawan Provincial Information Officer, said in a statement on Friday that the voyage rehearsal will be participated in by officials of the Department of Transportation, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ports Authority, the provincial government of Palawan led by Governor Jose Alvarez, and other line agencies and stakeholders.
“Its purpose is to review the sailing procedure that the vessel company will undertake to service the route,” said the statement.
The test run will also transport officials from Kudat, Malaysia, to see the town of Balabac, southern Palawan, where Buliluyan Port is located, said Acosta’s statement.
FastCat, a fleet of catamaran-type roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) by Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation, will be servicing the trade route between the Philippines and Malaysia.
Its RoRo vessel has the capacity to ferry 275 passengers; 35 vehicles and 12 lorry trucks on the car deck; has an elevator for persons with disabilities; and a ramp where vehicles can drive down the port.
The travel between the Buliluyan Port, Bataraza and Kudat in Malaysia is estimated to take six hours.
In December, Alvarez took a trip to Kota Kinabalu, where he announced the readiness of the sea link to Datuk Seri Teo Chee Kang, Kudat Assemblyman and Special Tasks Minister, and BIMP-EAGA Regional Chairman Datuk Roselan Juhar.
The RoRo sea trade link is expected to boost both countries’ tourism industries, with Palawan vying to have a share of Kota Kinabalu’s tourist arrivals which is at least three million. (PNA)
File photo
