MARINA gages quality of domestic shipping

CEBU, Philippines — The Maritime Industry Authority - Domestic Shipping Service (MARINA-DSS) has continued the Passenger Service Rating System (PSRS)-Gender and Development (GAD) survey to monitor and assess the quality of services offered to passengers by liner and ferry ships operating on domestic routes.

It also conducted an initial activities related to the profiling of the tourist destination areas (TDAs) as part of the programs for the modernization and expansion of the domestic shipping industry including coastal and inland waterways transport system (CIWTS) under the Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028 (MIDP), in Cebu-Bohol-Surigao-Siargao routes recently.

The DSS team, led by Imelda D. Tatad, surveyed the Roro vessel Lite Ferry 11 and fast craft Oceanjet 388 while traveling along the first identified route from Cebu to Bohol and vice versa.

From the first point of destination, the DSS team met with the Bohol Tourism Office personnel located in Tagbilaran City headed by Josephine Cabaros as the tourism officer.

On the topic pertaining to the cruise tourism of Bohol, there are a few identified foreign cruise ships currently plying in Bohol as the industry resumes its usual course following the impact of the pandemic on global travel and tourism.

“With further market study, this poses a promising opportunity for domestic cruise shipping to operate in the coastal areas of Bohol,” said MARINA in their Facebook post.

On the subsequent route, a PSRS survey was also conducted on the water transportations plying Cebu-Surigao-Siargao, namely, MV Filipinas Iligan (Roro vessel) and Evaristo Vessel (fast craft), respectively.

In completion of the identified route, the profiling of TDAs was also done on Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte.

The DSS team met with Elizabeth T. Matugas, municipal mayor of Dapa, Surigao del Norte, and was briefed on the development of the international port located in their area. The completion of this project is anticipated to be completed by October 2023.

MARINA added that with all the crews, representatives, and officials encountered by the DSS team on the said activities, partnerships are strengthened between them and the stakeholders wherein open communication is highly encouraged as both parties believed that the success of the domestic maritime industry is a collaborative effort of all concerned government agencies and private sectors. —(FREEMAN)