LUCENA CITY, PHILIPPINES – The Armed Forces of the Philippines through the Southern Luzon Command – Naval Forces deployed transport vessels to ease traffic congestion in Matnog port in Sorsogon to Allen port in northern Samar.
With the deployment of BRP Tagbanua (AT 296), a landing craft utility vessel, M/V Ursula, M/V Natasha, M/V Reyna Emmaculada, LCT Mailing and LCT Viva upon the request of SOLCOM Commander Lt. Gen. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo to augment Matnog port and eased up the flow of traffic transporting relief goods and passengers from various part of Luzon to Leyte and Samar provinces in Eastern Visayas.
M/Vs Ursula, Natasha and Emmaculada vessels are owned by Montenegro Shipping Lines, while LCTs Mailing and Viva were coordinated by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) and Maritime Industry and Authority (MARINA).
Another vessel is being coordinated thru the Philippine Navy Auxiliary Reserve Unit (PNARU) are expected to arrive on Monday to augment the decongestion operation in the two provinces by ferrying those stranded. Traffic at Matnog Pier was estimated 1.5 kilometers long.
Lt. Gen. Ordoyo said these initiatives aim to help decongest the number of stranded military troops, rescuers, relief operations and humanitarian mission caravan bound for Leyte and Samar.
According to Ordoyo, “As of today the ships had so far transported from Matnog crossing to Allen Samar a total of 206 tons consisting of fourteen (14) trucks, eleven (11) van, one (1) fuel tanker, one (1) pick-up, eighteen (18) SUV, one (1) bus, thirty six (36) military personnel and 187 civilian passengers.”
Aside from this, the Command also deployed at least 40 military personnel in Matnog and Bulan Port to provide security assistance to those transporting relief goods and any other assistance to Samar and Leyte.
Matnog and Bulan Ports serve as the nearest entry points for transporting needed assistance into the devastated areas.
“Pinasasalamatan ko po ang ating kasundaluhan at iba’t ibang sector ng ating lipunan dito sa SOLCOM sa kanilang dedikasyon at mabilis na pagkilos para lalong mapabilis ang ginagawa nating Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Operation”, Lt. Gen. Ordoyo further said.
