Upon the request of the DOTr and the MARINA, Lite Shipping Corporation, operating under the brand name โ Lite Ferries โ, will deploy a daily ferry service connecting San Juan (Cabalian), Southern Leyte to Lipata, Surigao City.
Lite Ferries was recently granted a missionary route status by MARINA to service the Lipata, Surigao City to San Juan (Cabalian) , Southern Leyte link. Its vessel โ Lite Ferry 11 โ made its maiden voyage last February 1, 2022, on the eve of the Chinese New Year. The launching of the route was postponed due to the onslaught of typhoon Odette last December 2021 that left the ports of Lipata and San Juan badly damaged.
Due to the damages caused by the recent Typhoon, the RoRo port of San Juan cannot yet be accessed by rollling cargoes and is currently closed as ordered by PPA. Meantime, while the San Juan Port is under repair and not operational, Lite Ferries will serve the Liloan, Southern Leyte to Lipata route. San Juan Port is nearer in land distance by over one hour compared to Liloan Port to and from Tacloban.
Lite Ferry 11 is a RORO passenger vessel that can carry nine (9) ten-wheeler trucks plus 6 cars. It can accommodate 550 passengers in a lying accommodation with bed bunks.
It will have two round trips daily, departing Lipata every 12:00 noon and 12:00 midnight and leaving Liloan every 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Travel time is only 3 ยฝ (three and a half) hours.
At present, Lite Ferries operates a total fleet of 25 RORO passenger ferries linking Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with 32 (thirty-two) destinations. It is fully compliant with International Safety Management Code as established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and MARINA. Lite Ferries is now undergoing ISO certification for its operations.
Lite Shipping Corporation โ Lite Ferries is a proud member of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association, Inc. (PCSA).
