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Lite Shipping Corporation will launch on Monday, March 25, 2019, a newly renovated and faster ferry for the Cebu-Ormoc route.
The M/V Lite Ferry 19 is the fastest vessel to date on this route with a travel time of four-and-a-half hours.
“This is in answer to the call of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to modernize the Philippine domestic fleet. By the end of the year, 50 percent of our fleet will be either brand new or 20 years below upon acquisition,” said Lite Shipping president and CEO Lucio E. Lim, Jr.
The company expects delivery in the third quarter of 2019 of two brand new IACS classed roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) passenger ferries, namely the Lite Ferry 5 and the Lite Ferry 9.
At present, the company operates a total of 25 RoRo passenger ships under the Lite Ferries brand in the Visayas and Northern Mindanao.
These vessels serve a total of 22 destinations and connect the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros, Samar, Leyte, and Northern Mindanao.
The Cebu-Ormoc vessel, Lite Ferry 19, was built in 2002 and is the youngest and fastest ship to ply the route.
It runs on two brand-new Ningbo diesel engines (built in 2017), with a total power of 7,800 HP. It has a maximum speed of 16.8 knots and service speed of 15 knots.
It will leave Cebu City at 11 a.m. daily and departs Ormoc City for Cebu City at 11 p.m. daily.
The vessel has hotel-like features and amenities including a fully air-conditioned 40-seater restaurant, a fully stocked canteen that will be open overnight, an information desk, and multi-purpose kiosk.
It has two economy passenger decks, a tourist class, business class, and four executive cabin rooms that can accommodate a total of 856 passengers.
Its deck pathways are bigger than the standards set by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and its facilities are compliant with international maritime standards.
With a gross tonnage of 3,881 tons, the vessel is 92 meters long and 17 meters wide coastwise type, RoRo passenger ferry acquired from China. It is now locally classed and undergoing transfer of classification to IACS Class.
Meanwhile, the two vessels that will be delivered in the third quarter will also be deployed within the year.
The Lite Ferry 5 has a GRT of 2,895 tons and two units of Weichai main engines with a total horsepower of 3,800HP, a service speed of 14 knots, with a capacity of 500 passengers and 23 trucks for cargo. It is classed by IACS-member RINA of Italy).
Lite Ferry 9 has a GRT of 1,666 tons, with two units of Weichai main engines and total horsepower of 2,500 HP, a service speed of 12 knots, and a passenger capacity of 400 and cargo capacity of 17 trucks. It is classed by Bureau Veritas of France.
Lite Ferries vessels are fully compliant with the International Safety Management Code (ISM). It is also undergoing ISO certification for its operations. (Ventures Cebu)
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