NEWSFLASH

Manila, Aug. 18, 2000 - Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta lauded the Philippine Port Authority's (PPA) intermodal seaboard project as a major step in the development of domestic tourism.

The opening of new sea links accessible by roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ports, she said, would make island hopping very attractive to local tourists and thus, boost overall prospects for tourism receipts.

The Investment Coordinating Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) recently approved the PPA's P5-billion intermodal seaboard project, paving the way for its implementation as soon as the NEDA Board gives its final go-ahead.

Under the project, the PPA will build RORO ports linking the islands of Mindoro to those of Panay, Negros Oriental and Zamboanga del Norte, Palawan and Mindoro, Manila and Cebu, as well as Zamboanga and three areas in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

"This is a much needed tourism infrastructure. I am quite excited about the new tour opportunities we can build around the new sea routes. Only about 1 percent of our tourists travel by sea because facilities are not as convenient as those for air transport. Thus, I'm sure that with the new RORO ports providing seamless sea links, many families will want to experience the beauty and exhilaration of a cruise spanning the archipelago," Sec. Araneta said.

With construction cost at approximately P10 million each, RORO ports are cheap alternatives to land bridges. Through RORO vessels that can carry 500 people and up to 59 trucks per hourly trip, travelers can board their vehicles on the boats and disembark on the next island while driving their own vehicle.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) will coordinate closely with the PPA on the progress of its intermodal seaboard project so that new links are maximized for tourism opportunities as soon as they are established. Sec. Araneta said the new opportunities would be made to dovetail with the DOT's existing campaigns for "seamless travel".