ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan – The tri-cities ferry service to be put up by the cities of Alaminos, Dagupan and San Fernando is all systems go this year.

“It is all systems go as far as all of us three mayors are concerned,” said City Mayor Hernani Braganza of Alaminos.

Braganza announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the project by the first week of March in a meeting among all city mayors involved.

Signing the MOA are Braganza, and Mayor Alipio Fernandez, Jr. of Dagupan City and Pablo Ortega of San Fernando City Mayor Pablo Ortega.

He said they decided in their last meeting in San Fernando City that they will already sign the MOA detailing the contributions of each local government unit to the project.

The last meeting of the group was attended by Mayors Braganza and Ortega with Mayor Fernandez sending his planning and development officer.

Department of Tourism Regional Director Martin Valera who hosted that meeting endorsed the plan of the three cities to put up the tri-cities ferry service across the Lingayen Gulf.

This will facilitate the movement of people and promote tourism and products as well, he said.

Valera said the project is expected to also service tourists coming down from Baguio City who may want to visit the three cities at much faster pace.

At the same time, Braganza announced that they had already inspected the boats that they intend to order from a boat manufacturer in Calamba, Laguna.

The boat manufacturer, he said, is a Filipino company which had long been engaged in building water transportation facilities.

He said based on the speed of the boat that they intend to buy, Alaminos to San Fernando City can be negotiated by only one and a half hours.

Braganza said the project is expected to enhance tourist arrivals to the Hundred Islands, promote the dine and shopping environment of Dagupan City and enhance the travel of people to the regional capital of San Fernando City.

So far, Alaminos and Dagupan cities already allotted part of their budgets to fulfill their initial commitments to the ferry service.

Braganza said Mayor Ortega of San Fernando assured that the budget for the project is no problem to his city. (PNA)