The newly completed Pier 88 in Liloan town was inaugurated May 27, signaling increased economic development and tourism activities in Liloan and Camotes Islands.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte led the ribbon cutting ceremony, together with Gov. Gwen Garcia, Department of Tourism Sec. Christina Garcia-Frasco and Deputy Speaker Duke Frasco.
This smart port will serve as a new entry point for travelers to and from Camotes Islands, a rising tourist hub in Cebu.
Gov. Garcia, in her speech, highlighted how this development will “finally end the suffering” of many locals and tourists who used to have only one option in visiting Camotes, and that is via Danao City–San Francisco route.
“This will finally end the suffering of Camotes where for many years, the trips were monopolized. This will now give the riding public a choice; and for our mayors of Poro, San Francisco, Tudela, and even Pilar, a much brighter future of economic development through a boom in tourism,” the governor said.
President Marcos underscored how Cebu has been “leading the way” in many aspects, and economic resurgence is just one of them.
“It’s encouraging to see that a massive undertaking such as this, where the local government takes the lead and collaborates with the private sector and other LGUs, in the pursuit of objectives consonant with the national development agenda,” President Marcos said in his speech.
“Public infrastructure, transport development, road traffic decongestion, but there is a — the Governor hit the nail upon the head when she said that these are just parts of a bigger system that we will synchronize and put together,” he added.
OceanJet, Super Shuttle Ferry, and Aznar Shipping have begun plying the Liloan-Camotes sea route beginning May 26, with the Ceres Bus also joining the group, ferrying passengers from SM City Cebu to Camotes and vice versa.