Oceanjet's back, starts trips today

CEBU, Philippines - Oceanjet, one of the first fast crafts between Cebu and Ormoc, had renewed its Cebu-Ormoc-Cebu route with two voyages a day, starting today (Oct. 19).

The owners and top management, led by Oceanjet corporate treasurer Betty Lua and daughter Vanessa, general manager, led the blessing and cutting of the ribbon rites at the firm's terminal building in Ormoc.

With them were City councilor Vincent Rama, representing Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, and Councilor Gerry Penserga, chairman of the City Council's transportation and communications committee.

Oceanjet operations manager Gene Lastimado said the "maiden voyage" left Cebu City port at 10:30 a.m. for Ormoc and returned to Cebu by 1 p.m. The same vessel returned to Ormoc at 5:30 p.m., stayed overnight there for its first trip to Cebu at 7 a.m. Monday.

Oceanjet plans that, by the end of the year, another vessel will be available so that there will be four Cebu-Ormoc-Cebu trips every day. Currently, Ormoc port has two fast craft operators, 2GO and Weesam Express.

Lastimado said their vessel is a mono-hull craft with a capacity for 332 passengers, with 20 seats for business class, 228 for tourist class and 84 for "open air" deck.

Regular one-way fare is P700, but Oceanjet offers "Libre Balik" promo fare at only P1,000 for a round-trip ticket within a period of six days.

Lua, for her part, said Oceanjet is making sure passengers will not be disadvantaged, adding that the firm is the only one that has its own drydock facility for immediate repair and maintenance of its vessels. (FREEMAN)