Cebu City (November 20) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will launch the new RORO (roll-on roll-off) ferry link from Samboan town in southern Cebu to Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte tomorrow at the San Sebastian Port in Samboan.

Pres. Arroyo is set to touch down in Negros Oriental where she will ride the fast craft from Sibulan Port in Negros Oriental to San Sebastian Port in Samboan. The municipality of Samboan is located 150 kilometers away from Cebu City.

The new RORO link marks another milestone in the Strong Republic Nautical Highway, a priority program of the Arroyo Administration which is basically a food highway providing for easier transport of agricultural products from the farm to the market through RORO ports in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The RORO ferry system also promotes investment and tourism and in the process, creates more jobs for the people, this is learned.

Arrival of the President and party is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow where she will be received at the San Sebastian Port by Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia, Samboan town mayor Raymond Calderon, Rep. Pablo Garcia, Cebu Ports Authority General Manager Angel Verdan and Lucio Lim, president of the Lite Shipping Corporation.

A short program will be held at the wharf while the President will be briefed by Lim on the new route.

With the new RORO link, a ferry from Samboan, Cebu will ply to Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte and vice versa. Cebu is part of the Visayas Region while Zamboanga del Norte is located in Mindanao.