Lucio E. Lim Jr. of Tagbilaran City, president and CEO of Lite Shipping Corporation, was voted chairman of the Philippine Coastline Shipping Association (PCSA), now considered as the biggest organization of shipping lines in the country with the merger of three associations.
In a statement, Lim said that the union of the associations, which he now leads, is intended to unify and organize ship owners and operators across the country and promote fair competition among the group’s members.
“It is to unify and organize ship owners and ship operators in the country for the promotion of a viable public policy framework to accelerate the modernization and development of the domestic shipping industry,” said Lim.
The Cebu-based PCSA is now the largest in the country in terms of membership and gross total tonnage of ships combined after the merger of the Philippine RORO Operators (PROA), Visayan Association of Ferry Boat and Coastwise Ship-owners Operators (VAPCSO) and the United Trampers Association of the Philippines (UTAP).
Meanwhile, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was named chairman-emeritus of the group in recognition of “her unwavering support for the local shipping industry when she authored the establishment of The Strong Republic RORO Nautical Highway.”
Other elected officers of the PCSA are the following, Paul Rodriguez (president) of Super Shuttle, Benson Go (VP for cargo shipping) of Seensam Shipping, Vicente Montenegro Jr. (VP for passenger shipping) of Montenegro Shipping, Pio Serafin W. Fulache (treasurer) of Medallion Shipping and Teresa C. Abad (corporate secretary) of 2GO group.
Elected to the Board of Trustees are Lim, Rodriguez, Montenegro Jr., Go, Fulache, Abad, Alexander Cohon of the Lapulapu Shipping Lines, Arthur Kenneth Sy of Trans Asia Shipping and Jose Emery Roble of Roble Shipping.
According to Lim, the unified group’s thrust remains to be the development of “a robust domestic shipping industry through mutually beneficial government and private sector cooperation.”
“PCSA is to promote among its members’ responsible ship ownership and adherence to the accepted standards of safety and service in domestic shipping operations,” he added.
Lim, who is also a past president of PROA, owns Lite Shipping Corporation with the brand Lite Ferries, comprising of 22 ships visiting 22 destinations in the Visayas and Northern Mindanao—Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros, Samar, Leyte and Northern Mindanao.
Recently, Lite Shipping inaugurated the MV Lite Ferry 19, the youngest and fastest ferry serving the Cebu and Ormoc route logging 4.5 hours. It is the twin sister ship of MV Lite Ferry 18.
PCSA is inviting all other ship owners and operators to join. They can email pcsa.ph@yahoo.com or text PCSA Secretariat 0917-631-5063 or PCSA OIC- Administrator Edgardo Nicolas at 0917-633-2439.