From outriggers to big ships: Serving the archipelago

For an archipelagic nation like the Philippines, the best medium for conveyance is still water.

The country has five rich bodies of water embracing it. Even if it is a collection of islands, it does not however enjoy having the longest aggregate coastline in the world. Canada does, with 56,453 miles of coastline. Indonesia is next with 33,987 miles. Nevertheless, the Philippine archipelago is far blessed than 30 landlocked countries whose citizens can only pine for sea breezes, sand and shells.

It is therefore reasonable that Filipinos took to the waters when communicating, trading, or transporting. It also makes sense that we are a country of seafarers. After all, our community origins began with the balangay, a boat. Rafts, two–masted ships, outrigger bancas and practically any conveyance buoyant and sturdy enough, took us to other points.

Up until the 1930s, the landed gentry in Iloilo visited their vast sugar farmlands across the Iloilo river aboard lorchas or batels, crude, flat-bottomed but functional barges that transported sugar workers and piculs of sugar. The sailboat voyage, which today takes less than an hour on sleek fastcraft, took a day and a half, depending on the waves and the wind.

Out of exasperation, the ilustrado planters one day thought they had enough discomfiture in checking their haciendas in Negros Occidental so they bought more sophisticated boats to bring the family and their sacadas with more speed and greater comfort. Thus started Negros Navigation, which this July marks 75 years of service.

Besides the Negrenses and the Ilonggos, Negros Navigation has served the travel needs of millions of Filipinos. At various points, it has called on ports near and far – from Masbate to Zamboanga. It has also ferried cargo, staged parties, hosted TV tapings, Anak TV jury screenings, run social service and charity trips. Some of its vessels have been commissioned to bring international visitors to the country. Its Doña Monserrat was the country’s first luxury cruise liner which was way ahead of its time.

PATRIOTIC

Some of its ships have even been enlisted for patriotic service, over and above its standard duties to serve the riding public.

During the war, the sparkling white Princess of Negros transported trainees of the 72nd Division. The same ship was secretly "chartered" by the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) to ferry President Manuel Quezon and his party from Iloilo to Bacolod. While the ship was docked at Fort San Pedro, the USAFFE loaded it with Quezon’s provisions, clothes, books and medicines. The vessel was however ordered wired for explosion should the enemy capture it, lest the Japanese find out the identity of the important passenger it had.

Today, after many years of smooth sail and turbulence, the shipping company is poised to confront more decades serving the archipelago and its people. Sulficio Tagud, the company CEO and chair, commends Negros Navigation’s people.

"We may not be the biggest in the industry but we have no equal in safety records and in responsive, innovative services," Tagud proudly states.

He adds: "As we celebrate 75 years, we will continue to champion employee welfare despite limited resources because the company believes that its greatest asset is neither its fleet nor properties but its people. We will not forget that it was the people in the organization who turned the company around during critical times."

[ Fort San Pedro Wiki ]