BATANGAS based Montenegro Shipping Lines, one of the country’s largest roll-on, roll-off (Roro) operators, said it will acquire eight more second-hand vessels this year, deploying most of the ships in missionary routes to serve the far-flung areas of the country.

Vicente Montenegro Jr., the company’s general manager, said the vessels will be deployed mostly in the 10 new Roro routes that were launched by the Philippine Ports Authority last week.

Montenegro said the funds that they will use for the acquisition will come mostly from loans from the Maritime Leasing Corp. (MLC), the Development Bank of the Philippines, the United Coconut Planters Bank and Banco de Oro. “We are allotting about P1 billion to acquire the vessels that can carry at least 8 buses and 500 passengers,” Montenegro said.

“We continue to upgrade our fleet to service more routes this year whether it is profitable or missionary,” he said, adding that the vessels may be deployed in Pioduran and Esperanza in the Bicol region.

The company, which could easily become the largest among the medium-sized firms based on the number of port of calls that it serves, has a total of 43 Roro vessels and 7 fast-craft vessels. It also owns 45 passenger buses that offer one-stop service to travelers and tourists.

The company has increased the productivity of its ports of operations by providing additional cargo-handling equipment to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of cargoes.

In 2006 the MLC has entered a lease-to-own agreement with the Batangas-based shipping firm.

These vessels were MV Oliva that cost P13.37 million, MV Natasha for P5.7 million, and MV Lolita for P10.09 million.

Montenegro said the company will complete the payment for the said vessels by next year.