Typhoon warnings often mean canceled boat trips to Romblon without prior notice. So are broken boat pipes and busted engines.
It no longer surprises regular boat passengers and port officials that boat owners call off trips, citing engine malfunction, whenever only a few riders are around.
Inconvenienced travelers are stranded at the port in the capital town of Romblon, taking chances on any out-bound cargo vessel or “batil.” Otherwise, they wait for the next day’s trip.
“They are only making an excuse. I know, I’ve been working here for 35 years already,” says cargo checker Abad Galindez, 58.
20 islands
Romblon province has 20 islands. Business thrives and the government holds offices on three major islands—Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan—which are reached via a roll-on, roll-off (Ro-ro) vessel.
The MV Maria Querubin, owned by Montenegro Shipping Lines, is the only interisland passenger boat that plies the Romblon route once a day. The boat can accommodate 300 passengers.
A boat trip starts at the San Agustin port in Tablas and stops in Romblon for 10 minutes and finally at the Ambulong port in Sibuyan, before it makes a return trip.
Passengers
Galindez says boat owners would rather refund the fare—P96 from San Agustin on Tablas Island to Romblon, and P240 from Romblon to Sibuyan Island—than ply the route to avoid fuel costs.
“They should have at least 20 passengers on board and some cargo trucks. If it’s fewer than that, they will cancel the trip. They will lose,” he says.
But boat engineer Rolando Mandigma dismisses the suspicions of passengers and port authorities. “There was a time we only had ten persons on board and we proceeded,” he says.
Technical malfunctions are only a coincidence, Mandigma says. He cites one instance when a hole was discovered in the cooling pipe of the boat.
Maria Christina Moreno, acting terminal operator of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), says technical malfunctions are the most convenient reasons for aborting boat trips when passengers are few.
“We could not do anything about [those problems]. They’re the ones in the know and we wouldn’t also want to risk the passengers’ safety (assuming there really are problems),” Moreno says.
Lt. Joselito Maluyo, Coast Guard station commander, says boats canceling trips must file marine protests, explaining their reasons. The reports are verified and documented, he says.
Uncommon
Asked if canceled boat trips are common, Maluyo says: “Not really. In my eight months here, we only had two incidents when the trip was canceled due to derangement (busted engines).”
“Of course, when there’s an LPA (low-pressure area) or a typhoon signal, trips have to be canceled to ensure the passengers’ safety,” he adds.
Provincial information officer Wilson Fortaleza acknowledges the long, sometimes inconvenient, travel hampering Romblon’s capability to draw in tourists and investors.
Despite its rich mineral deposits and long, white beaches and diving spots, Romblon remains a third-class province with an annual income of P4 million.
“You know how tourists are, the time eaten up by traveling matters to them,” Fortaleza says.