The 18 fisherfolk organizations in the town of Cordova have new motorbancas they can use, materials of which were provided by the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) as part of its corporate social responsibility program.
Aside from fishing, Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho said the 18 motorbancas can be used to ferry visitors to the town’s various tourist spots.
“Dako ni nga gihatag nga katigayunan sa CCLEC nga makatag-iya sila og motorized nga pumpboat. Matag organization makagamit niini pagpasakay og mga turista para sa island hopping ug uban pa. This is an income-generating project. Hinaot ko ma-sustain ni nga proyekto para sa kalamboan sa atong mga mananagat,” she said.
On January 27, 2021, Cordova Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Ramil Baluran led the blessing of the newly finished boats in Barangay Day-as. The activity was graced by Mayor Cho, CCLEC Vice President and Project Manager Herbert C. Laboy, officers of the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC), and the 18 fisherfolk organizations.
The blessing preceded the inauguration of the Mangrove Propagation and Information Center (MPIC) also in Day-as, Cordova.
CCLEC earlier turned over 18 marine engines and various materials and accessories to build the motorbancas to MFARMC.
It is part of CCLEC’s livelihood assistance program “Panginabuhian Para sa Kalamboan.” It is also in line with the company’s Social Development Framework Plan and corporate social responsibility program for the 8.5-kilometer Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) project that connects Cebu City to the Municipality of Cordova in Mactan Island.
CCLEC hopes that the assistance will also help the fishermen in their recovery amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
CCLEC is the owner and builder of the CCLEX project. It will maintain and operate the facility under a joint venture agreement with the local government units of Cebu City and Cordova.
Set to be a new landmark in the country, the expressway will have two lanes in each direction that will provide a safe, quick and scenic passage to an estimated 50,000 vehicles daily, easing the traffic in the existing Marcelo Fernan Bridge and the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.
CCLEX has a design speed of 80 kilometers per hour (kph) and a navigational clearance or height of 51 meters so as to allow large vessels to pass underneath the bridge.
Not only is CCLEX seen to reduce traffic and make traveling more convenient but also spur trade activities and open greater economic opportunities for Cebu and the rest of the Visayas region.
CCLEC is a subsidiary company of MPTC, the toll road arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), a publicly listed infrastructure holding company and is a member of the MVP Group of Companies.
MPTC is the largest toll road concessionaire and operator in the Philippines, which expansion goals include establishing toll operations in the Visayas, other parts of the Philippines, and in neighboring countries notably Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
