Gov’t woos investors for Southern Luzon ferry system

Following the successful implementation of the nationwide roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) network, the government now wants to develop a new Pasig River ferry system that will stretch from Laguna Lake to Manila Bay.

The project will create an additional link between Metro Manila and key provinces like Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bataan, benefiting 9.6 million people in the country’s most vital economic area.

“These highly populated areas, which are home to close to one tenth of the country’s total population, relies heavily on land transportation, resulting in traffic congestion, especially in many parts of the metropolis,” the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said.

The DOTC on Friday published an invitation for interested parties to conduct a government-funded feasibility study for a so-called “Manila Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake (Mapalla) Ferry System.”

The feasibility study will explore the viability of an alternative transport by capitalizing on Metro Manila’s major waterways, particularly the Manila Bay, Pasig River and Laguna Lake, the DOTC said.

“These bodies of water, if linked by an efficient network of ferry services, can serve public transport demand in both Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” the agency said.

DOTC said the feasibility project has an approved budget of P25.2 million. Agency officials said it would make sure that the procurement process for the program would be open and transparent.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships or organizations, with at least sixty percent interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, the DOTC said.

The 919-kilometer Strong Republic National Highway—a network of roads and Ro-Ro ferry ports that linked the country’s three major island groups—was envisioned to be an inexpensive but effective solution for the country’s transportation woes.

The road and port network allowed cars, public utility vehicles and cargo trucks to easily travel across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. But the project, one of the priority initiatives under the Arroyo administration, was not without controversy.

Last year, the Aquino administration scrapped a deal with the French government—approved under the previous government—that would have led to the construction of 72 modular ports worth P11.8 billion around the country.