Marina grants Lite Ferries missionary routes to serve Southern Leyte-Surigao rout

Marina grants Lite Ferries missionary routes to serve Southern Leyte-Surigao rout
February 11, 2022 https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1920743/cebu/business/marina-grants-l...

LITE Shipping Corp., which operates Lite Ferries, will deploy a daily ferry service connecting San Juan (Cabalian), Southern Leyte to Lipata, Surigao City on the request of the Department of Transportation and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).

Lite Ferries was recently granted a missionary route status by Marina to service the Lipata, Surigao City to San Juan (Cabalian), Southern Leyte link.

Its vessel Lite Ferry 11 made its maiden voyage on February 1, 2022.

The launching of the route was postponed due to the onslaught of Typhoon Odette (Rai) on Dec. 16, 2021, which left the ports of Lipata and San Juan badly damaged.

Due to the damage caused by the typhoon, the roll-on, roll-off (roro) port of San Juan cannot yet be accessed by rolling cargoes and is currently closed as ordered by the Philippine Ports Authority.

While the San Juan Port is under repair and not operational, Lite Ferries will serve the Liloan, Southern Leyte to Lipata route.

San Juan Port is nearer in land distance by over one hour compared to Liloan Port to and from Tacloban.

Lite Ferry 11 is a roro passenger vessel that can carry nine 10-wheeler trucks plus six cars. It can accommodate 550 passengers in a lying accommodation with bed bunks.

It will have two round trips daily, departing Lipata at 12 noon and 12 midnight and leaving Liloan at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Travel time is only three and a half hours.

At present, Lite Ferries operates a fleet of 25 roro passenger ferries linking Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao with 32 destinations. It is fully compliant with the International Safety Management Code as established by the International Maritime Organization and Marina. Lite Ferries is now undergoing ISO certification for its operations.

Lite Shipping Corp.-Lite Ferries is a proud member of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association Inc. (PR)