On the long road to Matnog Port, people and cargo with nowhere to go

In all his years as a trucker's assistant or a pahinante, Rodel Delos Angeles says this has been his longest trip ever — 10 days on the road, and literally on the same road.

 

Rodel, like thousands of other truckers, has been stuck on this long stretch of the Maharlika Highway in Sorsogon since last week, unable to board a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ship that would have taken them across the San Bernardino Strait.

 

The Red Cross project in Tacloban City that their cargo of cement is bound for will have to wait.

 

Rodel's driver abandoned the truck after figuring in an altercation with Matnog port personnel in charge of the long queue. Now he is left alone to guard their cargo.

 

He has been stuck on the side of this road for so long he has befriended a local dog. Sleeping under his truck and keeping him company during the night, the dog is a welcome companion during this long wait.

The problem started when the Philippine Coast Guard suspended shipping operations at the Matnog Port in Sorsogon and Allen Port in Northern Samar as Typhoon Dodong entered the country.

 

But the usual three-day delay experienced by truckers after every storm suspension has stretched on to more than a week.

 

Port authorities and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) claim the delay is caused by the breakdown of several RoRo ships plying the Matnog-Allen shipping route. From 10 ships that usually shuttle between the ports, only seven are seaworthy.

 

This is made worse by the fact that this is the peak season for shipping.

 

Since passenger buses, private vehicles and cargo trucks with perishable cargo are being prioritized to board the limited number of RoRo ships, other cargo trucks have no choice but to wait for a slot to open up.

 

The queue now stretches for kilometers and authorities have decided to divide the holding area among the towns leading to the Matnog Port. The farthest holding area, in Sorsogon City, is more than 60 kilometers away.

 

While trucks stay for two to three days at each stop, the steady arrival of cargo trucks means these towns have virtually been converted into parking lots over the past 10 days and the residents are starting to complain.

 

Aside from trash, the area around the holding points have become huge comfort rooms.

 

Some local governments have provided minimal assistance to stranded truckers through their Municipal Social Welfare Office but are generally leaving the problem for the national government to resolve.

 

Marina says two Landing Craft Transport ships are on their way to Matnog Port to speed up operations. They have also instructed shipping lines sail immediately once a ship is full.

 

Truck drivers, however, say they have been hearing these instructions since the start of the week and the situation has not improved one bit.

 

Desperate, some are already asking Malacañang to intervene in a delay that they say is worse than the gridlock they experienced in the wake of the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. — JDS, GMA News