Lite Shipping Corporation, is a Cebu City-based shipping line, that operates the Lite Ferries, a brand consisting of a fleet of more than 20 ships. The corporation has its origins from Bohol, and is the flagship company of Lite Holdings, Inc. At present, the corporation also owns and manages Danilo Lines, Inc. and Sunline Shipping Corporation.

History

The company was a wholly owned subsidiary of Lirio Enterprises, Inc., a general trading firm doing business nationwide. It started as a shipping division of the mother company in the middle of 1988 when it bought two vessels - the MV Sto. Niño de Soledad, a 500-ton DWT capacity steel-hulled vessel and the MV Sto. Niño, a wooden hull 200-ton capacity vessel. Initially, the cargo loaded was mostly goods traded by Lirio Enterprises, Inc. like salt, rice, cement, fertilizers, sugar, etc. Sometimes they would accept other cargoes for backload when the occasion demands it. This shipping division was spun off as a separate shipping corporation in July 1989 when the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission approved the Articles of Incorporation and by-laws of Lite Shipping Corporation. The Lite Shipping Corporation fleet then consisted of 15 roll-on/roll-off vessels, 12 passenger vessels and 3 cargo ships. In November 1991, the corporation acquired its third vessel, the MV St. Gabriel, a steel-hulled 30-ton capacity cargo boat due to the strong demand for the smaller cargo vessel in the trading operation of the mother company. In January 1992, the company expanded into the cargo/passenger shipping business with the purchase of a 175 gross-ton roro car/truck carrier from the U.S. Navy, the LCT St. Mark. It has a capacity of four ten-wheeler cargo trucks, five cars and 50 to 70 passengers. It is the franchise holder for the Argao, Cebu to Loon, Bohol route as a daily car/truck ferry. In November 2019 Lite Shipping Corporation bought the now-defunct George and Peter Lines it took over their routes and acquiring its vessels

Lite Shipping Corporation to Lite Ferries

In 2010, the Lite Shipping Corporation launched a new corporate brand name, along with a more contemporary and dynamic company logo, for all its vessels, now known as the Lite Ferries.

Lite Holdings, Inc.

Lite Holdings, Inc. was formed as a Holding Company with the following corporations under its umbrella:

Fleet

Current Vessels

As of April 2024, Lite Ferries have 29 ferries that are ROPAXes plus 2 Cargo RORO LCTs (LF 26 and LF 28). She Is Currently Serving Cebu - Tubigon, Tubigon - Cebu Route. The M/V Lite Cat 2 is an IACS-classed vessel registered under the Lloyd's Register of London. She has a length overall of 71.40 meters and a breadth of 20.00 meters. The vessel is powered by 4 units of Yanmar Marine Diesel Engines. The M/V Lite Cat 2 is currently serving the Cebu to Tubigon and v.v route providing Boholnons a much bigger, modern and better sea travel experience.

Former Vessels

On September 28 2021 She capsized in the vicinity of Ormoc leading all crew survived and one lady died cause of the sinking is by listing badly. She was retrieved from the Ormoc City Port and was brought back to Cebu City for refitting and renovations. On August 31, She was back with a new name and under a new company, she was renamed to M/V Blessed San Ricardo of ALD Sea Transport.

Routes

Lite Shipping's main port of call is at the Port of Cebu City. She has routes to the ports of Pulauan (Dapitan), Dipolog, Larena (Siquijor), Mandaue, Ormoc, Naval (Biliran), Plaridel (Misamis Occidental), Samboan, Oslob, San Carlos (Negros Occidental), Sibulan (Negros Oriental), Tagbilaran, Toledo, Cagayan de Oro, Jagna, Tubigon, Dumaguete, Nasipit (Agusan del Norte), Bogo Calbayog and Lipata (Surigao) [San Juan]]. At present, these are the routes (and vice versa) served by Lite Ferries:

Incidents and accidents

Sister companies

These are the shipping companies of Lite Shipping: