NEW TERMINAL. Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III (center) graces the opening of the new Archipelago Philippines Ferries Corporation Fast Cat terminal and ramp at the Iloilo City passenger terminal in Brgy. Progreso, Lapuz, on Wednesday (Sept 19, 2018). (Photo by Perla Lena)
ILOILO CITY -- The Archipelago Philippines Ferries Corp. (APFC) has assured its clients of safe, efficient and convenient travel as it opened its new terminal in Barangay Progreso, Lapuz here Wednesday.
The terminal caters to routes between Iloilo City and Bacolod City.
Traveling between the two cities via APFC’s Fast Cat ferry takes an hour-and-a-half. Currently it has four round trips daily but they intend to increase the frequency to eight round trips a day next year.
Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa Jr. welcomed the opening of the new terminal, saying Fast Cat contributed to the city’s progress.
“Without you knowing it, we have been watching into this area of Iloilo City to make it beautiful and more welcoming to our guests,” Espinosa said, adding that he looks forward to more and newer vessels servicing Iloilo City to contribute to the business boom in this part of the country.
Christopher Pastrana, APFC chief executive officer, expressed his gratitude to Ilonggos for patronizing their vessels, recalling that when they began operations in 2015, they had zero passenger. Last year, however, they already registered 320,000 inbound and outbound passengers.
Pastrana also thanked the Philippine Ports Authority for accommodating them at the new passenger terminal in Progreso, Lapuz, as they used to stay at the Iloilo River wharf, where passengers were exposed to heat and rain.
APFC owns and operates “catamaran” roll-on, roll-off ferries and modernized ports and terminals in the eastern and western Philippine sea route.
The “catamaran” is a multi-hulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, which can sail or be engine-powered.
Pastrana said they are working on 12 brand new vessels but they target to have 30 international class vessels by 2020 “to add connectivity to various parts of the country.”
“We will be able to move people, goods all over the country the most efficient and safest way possible,” he said. “All our ships are internationally class. We comply with the international safety rules and regulation. Safety is very important and paramount to us.” (PNA)
