MAE WESS 4 VESSEL: Bigger, faster ferry boat to service Davao-Samal route

By Charles Raymond A. Maxey

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

THE Mae Wess Company Inc. will operate a bigger and faster new vehicle and passenger ferry boat to service the Davao City-Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) and vice versa route.

The Mae Wess IV vessel is the biggest among the four ferries being operated by the Mae Wess firm headed by its president Ronald Bangayan and servicing the Davao-Igacos course.

Photo courtesy by Aristotle P. Refugio

Photo courtesy by Aristotle P. Refugio

Photo courtesy by Aristotle P. Refugio

Mae Wess IV can carry up to 30 light vehicles and 200 to 230 passengers. This is aside from the 25 motorcycles it can transport in one trip.

"With this new vessel, it is our company's aim to provide faster and more convenient travel for the public from Davao to Samal and back," Bangayan said in a statement.

According to Ronald's son, Wesley Bangayan, Mae Wess IV has two 450-horsepower Marine engines which make travel from Davao to Igacos and vice versa more faster compared to the company's existing passenger boats.

"This is bigger and faster. When we travelled from Samal to Davao earlier, it only took us more than four minutes," the younger Bangayan said during Wednesday's formal launching of the new boat at the Sasa Wharf along Km. 10, Sasa, this city.

Mae Wess also operates LCT Nicole I Star Ferry, Nicole II and Mae Wess III. The Bangayan's have a fifth boat, but they converted this into a party boat named The Venue.

Bangayan said they invested for another boat because of the increasing passenger traffic from Davao to Igacos, especially with All Saints and All Souls Day and the Yuletide season fast approaching.

Igacos Vice Mayor Al David Uy said Mae Wess IV will really help ease up the passenger traffic going in and out of Samal.

"This is a great help and we thank the Department of Tourism (DOT) for really promoting Samal," said Uy, noting that Russians, aside from Koreans and Japanese, have been frequenting Igacos lately.

Uy said during peak season, vehicle load in Samal can reach 500, while the number of passengers may climb to 3,000 on a daily basis.

Joining Ronald and wife Gene Bangayan and son Wesley during the launch yesterday morning were Vice Mayor Uy, DOT regional director Arturo Boncato, Davao City Investment Promotion Center chief Jason Magnaye and other guests and local tourism officials.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on October 25, 2012.