Bridging the Gap
By Henry F. Funtecha

Post-war sea transportation in Iloilo

Sea transportation in Iloilo was rehabilitated upon the restoration of the civilian government right after the Second World War. The port of Iloilo was re-opened to both the inter-island and international shipping.

The Iloilo Port, located strategically in the southern portion of Panay Island was the third largest in the country next to Manila and Cebu. It served as the center of commerce and trade for Western Visayas. It also catered to international shipping needs for a fine and safer harbor. Guarded by the island of Guimaras from storms and other natural calamities, it proved to be ideal for sheltering ships and cargoes. Its location also enhanced its accessibility to ships and goods coming from the ASEAN countries, Africa, West Asia, Europe, and the United States.

The area of the port of Iloilo is about six square miles, half of which has a depth of about eighteen or more at low water. The wharves are near the main pier. There are more than twenty berthing places at its main pier up to the Lopez-Quirino Bridge where more than twenty light ships measuring 150-200 feet can dock. Facilities for handling and storing rice, corn, sugar, flour, and other grains are easily available and are provided by big warehouses and stevedoring companies at the pier area. The arrastre service, right at the entrance of the harbor which has a complete stevedoring and warehouse facilities, handles inter-island cargoes including the exportation of local mineral products, copra, local cottage industry articles, etc. to foreign countries. The Visayan Stevedoring and Transportation Co., a branch of the Luzon Stevedoring Company, has facilities such as barges, tugboats, trucks, and buckets, including an P8 million sugar and molasses bulk installation in Jordan, Guimaras.

In 1971, the Iloilo port handled 46,379 passengers or 1.58% of the total in the Philippines. For the same year, it handled a cargo of 1,266,527 tons which was 10.20% of that of the country (Iloilo City Development Body, 1972). During the 1970s, a local shipping company, the Negros Navigation Co., operated the most luxurious passenger boats in the country serving the ports of Iloilo, Manila and Bacolod. Its leading passenger ships at that time were M/S Don Juan and M/S Dona Florentina.

Four other shipping companies like the Compania Maritima, Go Thong, Aboitiz Shipping, and William Lines maintained regular sailing routes to Manila and other points in the country in the 1970s. The vessels of other companies that had direct schedules to Manila were: Compania Maritima’s M/V Guimaras, Go Thong’s M/V Gloria and M/V Go Thong and William Line’s M/V Grace.