There was a lively exchange of ideas on the post I made yesterday about the need for government to take over the ferry services between Matnog, Sorsogon to Allen, Samar and Leyte to Lipata, Surigao del Norte because of the problems suffered by truckers which in turn jack-up the prices of goods for consumers.
While many hailed the proposal as a big boost to the free movement of goods and people from the South to the North, there were loud protests on the idea of creating a government owned and controlled corporation to operate ferry services in critical and missionary inter-island connections of the country.
Follower Raul Rocamora asked: “Why government, Sec Manny? We know for a fact hindi pang negosyo ang gobyerno. History natin at ng buong mundo shows how inefficient governments are when it comes to enterprise, simply because di yun ang linya nila. Shipping companies should instead play here kasi yun na expertise nila. We could let in FDI here if the locals won’t (they already have the “low hanging fruit” lucrative routes). What the government could do here is fix the management of ports.”
Some of the comments questioning why government should dip its finger into the shipping business obviously came from the well-entrenched and influential shipping group which had controlled the maritime industry of the country which for ages enjoyed the protection of the Cabotage Law.
(Let me just correct the misconception that government cannot and should not be involved in business. In fact, the local government units are empowered by the Local Government Code to exercise Corporate Functions, like operating business facilities with economic returns.)
There was one comment, however, which caught my interest because it gave me an idea in coming up with another option on how to solve the age-old problems of truckers and travelers along the Pan-Philippine Highway which connects Mindanao to Luzon.
The brilliant idea came from Josef Fulache who commented: “For many times this occurred and not much was done to solve it. It’s high time the national government take over and invest in ferry operations. After all, they’re part of the Maharlika Highway. The sea routes are like concrete roads the government has been maintaining.”
Yes, indeed.
The port connections between Mindanao-Leyte and Samar-Bicol are part of the Pan-Philippine Highway, a vital link for the transport of agricultural goods, construction materials, farm inputs and movement of people.
So, ayaw nyo na mag-create ng government corporation to operate the ferry services at baka malugi lang?
Well, here is another option based on the idea of Josef Fulache:
Since the Pan-Philippine Highway is a major artery connecting food production areas to Metro Manila, the Department of Agriculture should be provided funds to procure at least 8 ferry boats which could be built in the Navotas Shipyards or in Balamban, Cebu.
The DA has an existing agreement with the Philippine Coast Guard in the manning and operations of its fleet of patrol boats and two MMOV vessels, BRP Lapulapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy, and this same arrangement could be made in operating the 8 ferry boats connecting the Surigao-Leyte and Samar-Bicol Ports.
These ferry services would become part of the Food Security Program of DA and it would be offered free to the truckers carrying goods from Mindanao and Visayas to Luzon and vice versa.
The ferry boats should have regular schedules, say every two hours, and regardless of whether they are loaded or not, they should sail.
Trucks loaded with agricultural products should priority No. 1 and a system on how to handle private vehicles and others could later be devised.
With Free Ferry Services between these inter-island connections, the cost of the transport of goods would be reduced and the consumers of Metro Manila and other big cities would be greatly benefit.
Inversely, agricultural producers in the Visayas and Mindanao who get their farm inputs from Luzon would also enjoy lower prices.
I believe this strategy would greatly boost the productivity of the agriculture and fisheries sector and also prop up local industries which would create thousands of jobs in the countryside.
God willing, Inshallah, this measure would be the first immediate remedial legislations which I would introduce in the Philippine Senate on its very first sessions in July of 2022.
#PagkainAtTrabaho!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
(Photos of ageing Philippine Ferry Boats were downloaded from public websites while the photo of the DA-BFAR MMOV BRP Lapulapu and BRP Francisco Dagohoy was downloaded from the websites of the Office of the President.)
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