PPA Chief Launches CamSur Ferry Service

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Atty. Juan C. Sta. Ana led the launching recently of the “Roll-On, Roll-Off” (RO-RO) service along the route connecting the port of Nato to the port of Caramoan in Camarines Sur, and eventually to Codon in San Andres, Catanduanes.


His visit to the Bicolandia last March 16, marked his third out-of-town sortie since he was appointed PPA GM. He was accompanied by Hector E. Miole, assistant general manager for corporate affairs and special projects Port District Director for Southern Tagalog.

Virac passenger terminal

The maiden voyage of MV Calixta III for that route was a triumph of determination and optimism among PPA, Partido Development Administration and Catanduanes.

In the same speech, Sta. Ana said, “this ferry service in ports around Lagunoy Gulf will lure bus operators, haulers, traders and tourists as they will find land travel from Metro Manila to Codon, San Andres, Catanduanes via Nato Port to be shorter by at least “two hours” than the trip from Manila to Codon via Tabaco Port.”

He added that this route will certainly attract more foreign and local tourists to enjoy the “pristine” and “white Boracay-like” beaches of Caramoan an Catanduanes which is quite “gratifying.”

San Andres (Calolbon) passenger terminal

The new route is consistent with the 2011 Regional Development Plan, particularly on enhancing water transport through strategic RO-RO ports linking Catanduanes, Caramoan, Codon and Nato. The construction of Codon port by the Deparment of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) is ongoing, while the RO-RO ramp which is integral to the RO-RO connection is slated to be put up next year.

The Port of Caramoan was completed in March 2010 from PPA corporate funds, said Sta. Ana.

Camarines fourth district Rep. Noli Fuentebella in his remarks during the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) and RO-RO launch said, “the expeditious attainment of the region’s plan will be reliant on the government agencies’ active participation and coordinated effort.”

Shortly after signing the MOA renewing the continued management and operation by of Nato port by the PDA for another 15 years, he congratulated Gov. Joseph Cua for fostering commercial ties between Catanduanes and Camarines Sur., initially done thru the pioneering ferry route.

By YUL MALICSE
April 30, 2011, 12:54pm

Source: Manila Bulletin

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Retracing the Footsteps

Holy Week is only a few days away and many possibly are thinking of vacation spots, reunions and beaches. While other will just opt to confine themselves at home to avoid the rush or for whatever reasons. Attending the church services is also a must for us Catholics during this season. But what could be more compelling than any other is, visiting the Holy Land.


Since many of us could not visit Jerusalem in our lifetime, I created an interactive map to point the landmarks where the Last Supper took place (Cenacle on Mount Zion), the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where He was sentenced ( now The Church of Condemnation) to Via Dolorosa (Way of the Suffering) and end to Golgotha or Cavalry now the Church of Holy Sepulcher.

Visually, you can make a rough estimate of the distances Jesus Christ have walked. From the Garden of Gethsemane where He was arrested, to the place where He was sentenced and to Cavalry where He was crucified. You can also see on the map important places mentioned in the bible e.g. Mount Olives.


The Passion of the Christ (Aramaic: ܚܫܐ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ‎) is a 2004 film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus which depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

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Time to Push the Moribund Tourism Industry

Since the late Governor Severo Alcantara coined "Sulong Catandungan!" as the Capitol rallying cry, not much has been accomplished in the development of the local tourism industry.

At best, the record of the past administrations in trying to lure domestic and foreign tourists to this island paradise has been spotty and limited to just a few weeks or months of the year. Baras’ famed Majestic surf is supposedly fit for professional surfers and the waves attain their majestic size only during the "habagat" season from July to September.

While Governor Joseph Cua and his family has certainly made visiting Twin Rock beach resort a must, with added attractions such as a zip line and climbing wall, half of the way to Igang remains a first-class rough road.

There are at least two travel agencies but there is not one offering regular tours of the island that would take a visitor through destinations as diverse as old churches, historical places, refreshing waterfalls, surfing and scuba diving sites, a walk through virgin forest, mangrove excursion, panning for gold and extracting abaca fiber, and sampling the island’s menu of native food and delicacies.

The provincial government has started, once again, a campaign to involve local government units in the tourism development program to identify potential destinations and stakeholders. The effort is laudable and could lead to the overdue updating of the tourism master plan produced by the Alcantara administration. Gov. Cua has commendably gotten the commitment of Camarines Sur’s LRay Villafuerte to help market Catanduanes to visitors of his CWC after they get tired of water sports.

But all the government can do to perk up tourism arrivals is to provide infrastructure facilities, undertake some promotion and train LGUs and locals to be tourist-friendly. What is really needed is for the private sector to step up and risk precious cash to invest in specific projects designed to lure tourists from within and without.

And there is no better laboratory to do this experiment than in the tourism resource-rich town of Bato, which celebrates its 212th year this April 13-15.

Those who have enough disposable cash should plunk in some to organize a group of tourism-savvy people, including mountaineering guides, and plan out an initial three-day junket of Mayor Leo Rodriguez’ municipality. Such a short visit should be enough to take the curious through the island’s oldest church and the pilgrimage site at Batalay, bring them to swim in the cool waters of Marinawa and Balongbong as well as the hidden beach beyond Bote, marvel at the sea life beneath the waters of Cabugao Bay, climb to the old Japanese garrison and try a kayak ride on Bato river from Pagsangahan, San Miguel down to Bicol’s second longest bridge where a sumptuous lunch on a floating restaurant would await.

Many of our political and business leaders have already expended barrels of saliva extolling the virtues of Catanduanes as an eco-tourism paradise. It’s time they put their money where their mouths are; or, if they are still so dense as to what this means, they gotta spend some to earn big time in the tourism business.

Source: Editorial, Catanduanes Tribune - 08 April 2011

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Quick Tour Around the Philippines

This is a quick tour around the Philippines, from the beaches of El Nido in Palawan, to Makati Avenue, to Rizal Park, to San Juanico bridge in Leyte, to Mayon Volcano in Albay and many more.

This tour requires you to install a Google Earth Plug-in to your browser. To start the tour, press the play button located at the lower left of the window.

This tour will open 30 geo-located panoramas wherein you can pause the tour to view it. You can zoom-in or out the panoramas or rotate it by using the navigation feature found at the upper right of the window. To continue with the tour, press the play button again. Enjoy!

If you want to view it on a wider page, click here.

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