Cebu company inaugurates new 3,086-ton passenger ship

NEWLY acquired MV Filipinas Butuan, an addition to the Cokaliong Shipping Lines fleet, was inaugurated at Pier 1 last March 9 in Cebu City. TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS

A Cebu-based shipping line launched its newest vessel, MV Filipinas Butuan, last Saturday.

MV Filipinas Butuan is Cokaliong Shipping Lines Inc.’s (Cokaliong)  ninth vessel. Cokaliong has received numerous awards for excellence in sea travel.

In a press statement, Cokaliong said the acquisition of MV Filipinas Butuan brought to 13 the firm’s ports of call.

MV Filipinas Butuan will service the Nasipit and Jagna routes.

The new 3,086-gross-tonnage ship has a capacity of 850 passengers and will go on its maiden voyage to Nasipit at a speed of 15 knots, according to the statement.

It said that since Cokaliong is the only operator serving direct trips from Cebu to Nasipit three times a week, the economy of Nasipit is expected to benefit from the new route.

Chester Cokaliong, Cokaliong founder, chief executive officer (CEO) and chief operating officer (COO), expressed confidence that the fleet operations of his shipping company will continue to be successful as it has been in the past 23 years.

He also expressed belief that MV Filipinas Butuan will be of great service to Filipinos especially in the Mindanao area. He said he was glad that the second generation of the Cokaliong family was now actively participating in the business.

The three dynamic young members are Chase, Chesna and Charmaine Cokaliong.

Chase, the eldest child of Chester and Anna Lynne Cokaliong, is the special assistant to the founder, CEO and COO. He has also been appointed as human resource and development manager, supervising over 500 regular employees.

He finished his BS Legal Management studies at Ateneo de Manila University.

His younger sister, Chesna, also a BS Legal Management graduate of the same university, also has duties and functions as a special assistant to the founder, CEO and COO of the company. Chesna is currently taking up law at the Cebu-based University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance.

Charmaine is the eldest child of Christopher and Leslie Cokaliong and was appointed as special assistant to the vice president for finance and administration.