The pre-war shipping industry in Cebu (Part I)
Before the advent of air transportation, the Cebuanos solely depended on ships in travelling to other provinces. Cebu was the center of shipping in Visayas and Mindanao even before World War II. The shipping industry had ships manned by shipping agents. The ships were described to be modern, fast, and commodious and the travel as safe and comfortable and a pleasure.
Compania Maritima which had its branch office in Cebu in the waterfront (at the back of M.C. Briones), it is the building which still exists today preserved by the city government. It was a prestigious company. In the Golden Book of Cebu City fortunately had a photograph and names of its personnel like R.M. Ramos as its branch manager, Jose Teves, Josefa Perez, Mrs. E.J. Rodriguez, P.B. Sioson (assistant manager), Julito Abad, A.R. Barrera, Lourdes Teves, Cruz Jamili, C. Zuniga, Victoriano Crisologo, Juaquin Espina, Jorge Cui, G.P. Ramos, German Quijano, Jose Roa, Jorge Ruflo, Ambrocio Zuniga, Carolino Gandionco, and Juanito Castaneda.
These were the ships, its shipping agents, and routes: M/S Iloilo of the Dela Rama Steamship (owned by Don Esteban dela Rama, Revolutionary General and Senator from Panay Island, and father of the wife of Sergio "Serging" ChiongVeloso Osmeña Jr. by the name of Lourdes dela Rama, the latter was the mother of MayorTomas R. Osmeña and Senator Serge Osmeña III) its route was Cebu to Tacloban, Leyte.
There was S/S Bisayas or Lanao of the Elizalde & Co. which departs Cebu to Zamboanga, Cotabato and Davao every Monday. To the different ports in the island of Mindanao and nearby provinces in the Visayas was M/S Emilia of Naviera Filipina which departs every Monday to the ports of Dumaguete, Larena (Siquijor), Dipolog, Plaridel, Oroquieta, Iligan, Misamis (renamed after the War as Ozamiz, named in honor of the martyred Governor of Misamis Occidental and Senator. Jose Fortich Ozamiz).
M/S/ Princesa traveled on Mondays. It was owned by the Insular Navigation with ports of destination in Jagna, Mambajao (Camiguin), Cagayan (now Cagaya de Oro City), Plaridel, Oroquieta, Jimenez, Misamis, Kolambugan, and Iligan. The ship would travel back to Cebu every Friday.
Another ship of Insular Navigation was M/S Katipunan which traveled every Monday to Ormoc, Merida (of Leyte), Palompon, Villaba (of Leyte), San Isidro (Leyte), Naval (used to be part of Leyte now part of the Province of Biliran), Calubian and Jagna. It would arrive back in the Port of Cebu on Thursday at 5:00 in the morning.
Cebu Navigation had its ship M/S Islas Visayas that traveled on Monday to the ports of Iligan, Misamis, Kolambugan, Cagayan, Talisayan, Mambajao and Jagna. It would arrive back to Cebu on Friday early morning.
Uy Matiao & Co., the company co-founded by Don Tirso Uytengsu Sr. (a street in Cebu City is named after him) had a ship named M/S Dumaguete that traveled on Mondays to the different ports of the Province of Oriental Negros specifically to Dumaguete, Bais, Manjuyod, Payabon, Ayongon, Tayasan, Jimalalud, La Libertad, and Guihulngan.
Cebu had a regular trip to its sister province, the Province of Bohol that docked in the Port of Tagbilaran. One of its shipping providers was the Cebu-Bohol Ferry on its ship, M/S Tagbilaran, it would travel daily to Tagbilaran at 11:30 p.m. and would arrive Cebu at 3:30 in the afternoon.
A shipping company called the Fork Set Co. had a ship named M/S Baybay travels on Tuesdays at 6:00 in the evening with the following destination: Maasin (now part of Southern Leyte), Pintuyan, Surigao, Placer, Dapa, and General Luna. It would arrive back to Cebu on Mondays at 5:00 in the morning.
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