SOUTHERN LEYTE – Hopes were high among the businessmen and the riding public when important sectors of the province joined their efforts to save the services of the lone boat in Maasin City. As reported earlier, officers of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) met with Maasin City Mayor Nacional V. Mercado to ask the LGU’s assistance for the return of Cokaliong Shipping Lines’ boat service to the city, in answer to the clamor of the public, especially the entrepreneurs who indicated that their business operation have already been affected by the situation of having no boat to ferry their goods. Mayor Mercado said that the city government has written the management of Cokaliong Shipping Lines last year, and another letter was also sent last May 2023.
Chairman of the SLCCI Epifania Sy and Nestor Sy personally went to the Cokaliong Main Office in Cebu City to see its owner and expressed their situation
Then on August 22, 2023, Chester Cokaliong, founder and chief executive-operating officer of the mentioned shipping lines, wrote back “requesting an audience” with Mayor Mercado to help address and resolve their shipping lines issues regarding arrastre operation and other matters in the Port of Maasin City.
In SLT’s previous report, Cokaliong’s boat service suspended its trips, last week of July. When asked, Cokaliong’s chief local agent said that there was a problem with the port’s big forklift, that time, that is necessary for efficient loading and unloading of cargoes. That because of this, the shipping line was at a disadvantage; got way delayed in its schedule, affecting its Cebu-Ozamis-Iligan boat services in Mindanao.
Cokaliong boats have been servicing the Port of Maasin since December 1990; more than 30 years.
Last Friday, September 1, 2023, Chester Cokaliong together with Cokaliong Agent Lester Uy, Mayor Mercado and other Maasin City officials finally met in Cebu and discussed the issues.
During the meeting it was agreed that the port will provide the big forklift and boat tickets will already be available. The boat service is scheduled on September 5, 2023, Tuesday, 8am trip to Cebu City on its MV Filipinas Nasipit boat.
COKALIONG RETURNS
