The Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have pledged they will work together to resolve the congestion and delay problems at the Matnog, Sorsogon-Allen, Northern Samar maritime route.
The agencies said additional measures are being rolled out to lessen the inconvenience experienced by travelers, cargo owners, and other port stakeholders following the damage caused by Typhoon Odette last December.
The PPA said it will accelerate the repairs on facilities damaged by the typhoon at the Port of Matnog “to encourage additional frequency of vessel calls from existing, and other vessel operators looking to service the route.”
MARINA, for its part, will “strictly enforce” an on-time turnaround of trips for ships, while the PCG will “take over the management of queueing of vehicles leading towards the Port of Matnog.”
Full commercial operation of the Matnog-Allen route has now resumed, but PPA, MARINA and PCG have reminded travelers of “temporary discomfort and delays” in traversing the Matnog-Allen route due to harsh sea conditions and the damages to ports facilities.