THE country's biggest shipping Roll-On-Roll-Off (Ro-Ro) line, Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. (MSLI), has launched the operations of its Cebu-Iloilo route with M/V Maria Matilde sailing its maiden voyage from Cebu to Iloilo last June 6.

MSLI travels to Iloilo every Wednesday and Friday; return trips from Iloilo to Cebu are on Thursdays and Mondays.

M/V Maria Matilde will leave the Pier 3 of Cebu at 6PM, and arrive in Iloilo at 6AM the following day.From Iloilo it departs at 10AM arriving 6PM the same day at Cuyo Island, Palawan.

From Cuyo Island, the vessel will then travel at 8PM and arrive at 8AM the following day in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Afterwhich, M/V Maria Matilde returns to Cuyo Island, travels to Iloilo and back again to Cebu.

MSLI is a domestic shipping shipping company established last September 18, 1978 by Vicente Leyco Montenegro, Sr. It was the pioneer service provider of commercial and public transportation between Batangas City and Abra de Ilog.

The shipping line now has 31 vessels calling on 18 ports beyond the borders of the Southern Tagalog region, covering Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao under the management of Vicente C. Montenegro, Jr., current general manager of MSLI.

MSLI provides passenger and commercial (cargo and vehicle) marine transportation services via its fast craft and RORO vessels. It has seven satellite offices with 12 corresponding stations in Batangas, Lucena, Masbate, Bacolod, Caticlan, Malay, Aklan, Surigao and Dumaguete.

The company also plans to expand their reach to outlying areas, such as Tagbilaran, Cagayan, Tubigon, Maasin and Surigao.