SWEET LINES WIN AWARD
Times Journal
Sept. 13,1975
Sweet Lines, Inc., one of the country’s progressive shipping companies, received an award for pioneering and leadership on the occasion of the 37th charter anniversary of Cebu City. Founded by Lim Poh, it was originally called Central Shipping Co. but it was changed to its present name by the Securities and Exchange Commission in January 1961.
In the late 1930s, the CSCI owned the 98-tonner Masayon which served Cebu,Bohol and Northern Mindanao. During World War II, however, the Masayon was intentionally sunk by USAFFE forces to prevent the Japanese invaders from using the craft. After the war, the general co-partnership of Lim Poh and Sons, once more tried its luck in the shipping business and this time with uncontrollable success. began to operate nationwide with the launching of the MS Sweet Rose whose tonnage was 18 times bigger than the nostalgic Masayon. In the succeeding years, the enterprise’s fleet was enlarged as its business expanded. Two vessels were acquired in 1996 thus increasing the frequency of trips to Manila. A year later, the 1800 tonner MS Sweet Bliss was placed on the Manila run, pioneering in a new route to Davao via the east coast. The first brand-new ship to fly the S-banner was acquired in 1968. Called the MS Sweet Grace, it was delivered fresh from a German shipyard , equipped with air-conditioned cabins and a dining salon, piped-in stereo music, shipboard movies and modern navigational instruments. In the same year, the MS Sweet Dream was procured. It was in every respect a twin sister to Sweet Bliss. Another first came in early 1971 when the Sweet Lines, Inc. acquired the country’s fastest luxury liner. Plying the Cebu-Manila route, the MS Sweet Faith had 140 air-conditioned cabins, dining saloons, supper club with live combo music, cinema, TV, stereo music, spacious promenade and sundeck and everything expected of a continental luxury liner using European standards. After the fastest liner came the biggest, the MS Sweet Home. Built in Italy, the liner is 397 feet long, 53 feet wide and weighs 5,486 tons. It can accommodate 1,200 passengers, as she did when she carried Muslim pilgrims to Mecca on a chartered voyage to Saudi Arabia. Equipped with stabilizers, radar, depth detector, sprinkler system and other special gadgets, the biggest liner was bought at close to P14 million in 1973. Her passenger facilities outshine those of the earlier liners.
