Sta. Fe Port in Bantayan Island Ready for Influx of Holy Week Tourists

The port in Sta. Fe town in Bantayan Island is ready to accommodate the expected thousands of tourist who flock to the island during the Holy Week, a local official said.

Sta. Fe Mayor Jose Esgana said one of the port’s two ramps was damaged when super typhoon Yolanda battered the island on Nov. 8, 2013.

But the ramp was rehabilitated and opened on Saturday, a year and four months after super typhoon Yolanda devastated Bantayan Island, Esgana said.

He said the port in Sta. Fe is once again fully operational and ready to accommodate thousands of visitors expected to spend their vacation on the island during Holy Week.

He said the port was forced to use only one ramp in the aftermath of the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall.

Two shipping firms ferry passengers from Hagnaya Port in San Remigio in mainland Cebu to Sta. Fe.

These are the Island Shipping Corp. and Super Shuttle Ferry.

Sta. Fe Municipal Administrator Paulo Esgana said the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) had promised the mayor the ramp would be operational before this year’s Holy Week.

The mayor said they expect three roll-on, roll-off vessels and two ferry boats of Island Shipping Corp. and three ferry boats of Super Shuttle Ferry to be sailing every 30 minutes during this period.

San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez said he is confident vessels can accommodate all the passengers expected to troop to Bantayan, especially during this peak season.

He said tents will be set up at the Hagnaya port for passengers lining up to get tickets.

“Only passengers who are ready to depart are allowed to stay at the waiting area,” Martinez said.

Some 30 policemen will be deployed in the area along with medical personnel from the San Remigio Rural Health Unit. An ambulance will also be on-standby.

Mayor Esgana said the more than 20 beach resorts in Sta. Fe are fully booked.

“There will be six emergency stations that will be placed within Sta. Fe to accommodate local and foreign tourists,” he said.

The town also trained lifeguards who will serve as volunteers to look after beach-goers. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS