Those commuting by sea between the Central Philippine islands of Cebu and Leyte now have an alternative route as Roble Shipping Inc plans to reopen the Cebu-Tacloban passenger sea route with a newly refurbished vessel.
Making the announcement through the Tacloban City government’s social media channels, mayor Alfred Romualdez said that he recently met with company CEO Jose Emery Roble regarding the reopening of the Cebu City to Tacloban passenger route.
Roble Shipping will bring the M/V Claudine Star, a 74-meter-long vessel refurbished in 2022, to Tacloban for a thrice-weekly route between Cebu and the Eastern Visayan capital.
Romualdez said: “This is a great help to our travelers, and will boost our trade of cheaper products between Cebu and Tacloban.”
The city government said the company has yet to announce the maiden voyage since there are still arrangements being done with the Philippine Ports Authority, though the new route could be operational as early as September of this year.
Currently, those making their way from Cebu from Tacloban need to travel over two hours to the Ormoc City port to catch the inter-island ferry.
