Several ports to Vis-Min remain affected by Odette; alternative ports suggested

Several Department of Transportation (DOTr) agencies on Tuesday asked travelers to consider using other ports to the Visayas and Mindanao as some shipping and port facilities are still recovering from the effects of Typhoon Odette.

In a joint travel advisory, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) advised the public to expect temporary “discomfort and delays” if traveling through the ports of Matnog in Sorsogon, Allen in Northern Samar, Liloan in Southern Leyte, and Lipata in Surigao del Norte.

“These ports are still reeling from the ravages caused by typhoon Odette, which were further aggravated by the harsh sea conditions resulting in congestion due to the reduced frequency of vessel calls,” the advisory noted.

The agencies reported that vessel calls in Matnog were down to nine from the usual 14 due to the ongoing repairs to the port's modular ro-ro ramp.

In Liloan, only two berthing facilities were being used, while the nearby Port of Benit in San Ricardo town was not operational also due to Odette.

“These ports are the main gateways of Luzon and the Visayas to Mindanao via Lipata Port in Surigao del Norte, which also sustained significant damages to its facilities,” they said.

As a solution, the agencies suggested that travelers could instead go through Pilar, Sorsogon or Pio Duran, Albay to Masbate or to Cebu en route to a destination in the Visayas or Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the ports in Lipata, Surigao del Norte to Opol, Misamis Oriental should be considered for those bound for Luzon.

The agencies meanwhile assured that the full vessel complement at the Port of Matnog would resume this week with the repairs to its modular ro-ro ramp almost complete.

They added that the construction of the Sorsogon Ro-Ro Terminal, which was expected to start this year, would also address the congestion in Matnog. This will then be complemented by the establishment of a Truck Holding Area by the PPA.

Further, more regular schedules were also eyed along the Liloan-Lipata-Liloan route in the next few days as trips were now 24/7 there.

Several shipping lines are also set to serve the Lipata-Opol-to Luzon route.

The agencies stressed that the repairs to all damaged port facilities were in “full swing.”

“The PPA, MARINA, and PCG are working round the clock to increase the number of vessels plying the routes to reduce congestion at the ports without sacrificing safety and security of the port users,” they said.

Typhoon Odette has killed at least 407 individuals in the Visayas and Mindanao in mid-December last year, as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on January 10.

The typhoon caused P13.3 billion in damage and losses in various regions, the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. — DVM, GMA News