New transport player upbeat on Boracay’s tourism growth

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The Mabuhay Maritime Express Transport, Inc. (MMETI) remains positive of Boracay’s tourism growth despite the massive clean-up and rehabilitation efforts.  

PHOTO AKLAN FORUM JOURNAL

The company is committed to develop a P180-million modern jetty port terminal facility in Malay, Aklan to enhance tourist experience as they enter Boracay Island.

MMETI is engaged in inter-island sea transport for tourism using the Catamaran ferries. It will operate a new mode of transport for tourists with two brand new Mabuhay Maritime Express ferries for a direct sea route between Kalibo and Boracay Island.

Last Tuesday, MMETI officials presented before the Malay Sangguniang Bayan members the approved pricing and schedule by Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the proposed Cagban port design and the benefits of the project to the province of Aklan.

MMETI is targeting Asian neighbors – China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Korea - and the Middle East markets to help promote the tourism industry of Boracay Island as a premier tourist attraction of Aklan.

The proposed development in Cagban jetty port terminal will increase local employment, added government revenue and taxes, increase land value and generate business opportunities for the province of Aklan, according to MMETI manager Sherwin Tan.

SB member Floribar Bautista urged the MMETI to get an endorsement from the legislative council before it proceed with their proposed development.  

“We will comply the regulations from LGU Malay as we comply also the requirements of LGU Kalibo. We will not take over the Cagban port but we will only lease a portion of Cagban port for passengers waiting area and ticketing office of the project,” Tan added.

Tan said the company will tap the passengers of Philippine Airlines (PAL), the sister company of MMETI, and tourists bound Boracay. The passengers will be paying a round trip boat fee of P1,500 exclusive of terminal and environmental fees.

“It will be opened to everyone who wants to travel by sea to Boracay. The company has no plans to compete with other transport groups,” he stressed.

MMETI has state-of-the-art 42-meter Catamaran with a width of 12-meter designed and constructed by Damen Shipyards, a Netherlands-based company, to transport the departing and arriving airline passengers through the Kalibo International Airport.

Each vessel has a maximum cruising speed of 30 knots or 56 km/hour. The vessel also has regular, premium and first class cabins with 22 crew on board to assist the 410 passengers.

Passengers will be transported from Kalibo International Airport, a 2.5-km drive to Kalibo Pook port using the circumferential road. The port is approximately 70 km to Cagban jetty port in Boracay Island.

The Catamaran vessel is estimated to travel the Kalibo Pook port-Cagban jetty port route in 1.5 hours for a cruising speed of 27 knots or 50 km/hr.