FastCat serves Zambo-Basilan route

The addition of sailing routes from Zamboanga to Basilan and vice versa by domestic shipping player Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation (APFC) is expected to boost commerce and tourism in Mindanao.

On 22 October, APFP’s Fascat M11 began serving the Zamboanga-Basilan route, said APFC chairperson Mary Ann Pastrana.

“By adding this new route, FastCat already has 10 paired ports served. This will serve as an access to Basilan and the major parts of Mindanao that will connect people and businesses from nearby islands,” she said.

FastCat M11 will make three trips daily, each lasting two hours.

Pastrana said FastCat did not acquire a new vessel for the said route. Instead, the M11 was just repositioned to serve more passengers, business owners and tourists.

Zamboanga is located at the tip of the peninsula and is essentially rooted in agriculture, with farming and fishing as the main economic activities of families.

“Transporting and/or exchanging goods to nearby islands such as Basilan, known as the ‘Treasure Islands of the Southern Seas,’ Sulu and Tawi-Tawi will surely create livelihood for the locals,” Pastrana stated.

To date, APFC operates 18 vessels, with two incoming vessels set for delivery in the next three years.

The market value of a Fastcat is about $10 million, according to Pastrana.