By Minerva BC Newman

Cebu City (5 January) -- The expanded Nautical Highway System that includes the Cebu-Bohol-Camiguin roll on, roll off (RORO) Complex has reduced transport costs by 37-43 % for passengers and by 24-34% for cargo. Travel time has also been reduced by 10-12 hours. This was the statement of Cebu 1st district congressman Eduardo Gullas that was released to media over the week.

Aside from the considerable reduction in transport cost and travel time, the Nautical Highway System has also invigorated the domestic trade and tourism in the country. The system has maximized the use of RORO facilities to move passengers and cargo from Mindanao through the Visayas to Luzon.

Gullas said, the national government plans to spend one billion pesos to improve the country's nautical highway system in 2006. The amount will be spent mainly to improve the network of municipal ports and coastal roads that support the nautical highways and to complete the remaining links of the western, central and eastern nautical highways as well as to strengthen the viability of the entire system, Gullas added.

The Western Nautical Highway is the western seaboard trunk route from Manila to Dipolog City or the northwestern tip of Mindanao that connects to the central trunk route at Cebu City in Central Visayas.

The Central Nautical Highway on the other hand, is the central trunk route connecting Pilar, Sorsogon to Balingoan in Misamis Oriental, passing through Central Visayas and connecting to the East-West trunk routes of Cataingan in Masbate and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.

The Eastern Nautical Highway is the eastern sea link that connects Biliran, Leyte to Surigao City or the northwestern tip of Mindanao connecting to the central trunk route at Cataingan, Masbate.

As can be recalled, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2003, issued two executive orders promoting the RORO transportation system to spur countryside development. The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) also issued rules and procedures that prescribed for the privatization of state-owned RORO terminals that form part of the entire Philippine Nautical Highway System.

On September 29-October 1, 2004, President Arroyo visited Cebu to inaugurate the voyage of RORO LCT Martin from Bato, Cebu-Tampi, Amlan in Oriental Negros and back to Bato. She also inaugurated the P580-Million road network from Barili-Carcar-Bato Road Project. The 122.988 km stretch is expected to enhance the economic activity of South Cebu through the RORO services, making product and passenger transport easier and faster.