Roll on-roll off vessels and fast craft operators in Western Visayas will pursue the P10 to P20 fare hike this summer, the manager of Weesam Express fast craft, said yesterday.

Frank Carbon said the fare increase was deferred twice last year because of the MassKara Festival and the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda, but they will pursue it this time.

The fare increase has been approved by the Maritime Industry Authority earlier last year, he added.

Foreign firm in MCIA consortium
has ‘shades of Piatco’: Osmeña

Sen. Serge Osmeña yesterday called for a Senate inquiry into the delay in the awarding of the construction and 25-year management contract of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) as he expressed fears that the Department of Transportation and Communication may award the project to a foreign firm with a questionable operating background and unstable financial standing, a press release from his office said.

Osmeña, in a privilege speech entitled “Shades of Piatco”, showed concern that the award of the MCIA contract to the consortium of GMR Infrastructure Ltd. of India and Megawide Construction Corp. would cause a “grievous injury” not only to the people of Cebu but to “all future travelers to and from the Visayas and Mindanao.”

Mill picket continues

The 80 members of the First Arrastre and Stevedoring Services Employees Union will continue their picket today in front of the First Farmers Holding Corp. in Brgy. Dos Hermanas, Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

This was after the negotiation for their reinstatement held at the National Coalition and Mediation Board in Bacolod City yesterday failed, Kilusang Mayo Uno Regional Coordinator, Ian Evidente, said.

Evidente said that, during the negotiation, the representative of FFHC, whose name he did not disclose, said the management of the mill will study the reinstatement of the retrenched workers.