LITE SHIPPING CORPORATION

What LITE SHIPPING CORPORATION does

Lite Shipping Corporation, operating under the Lite Ferries brand, is a privately-held Philippine inter-island shipping company founded in 1990 by Boholano entrepreneur Lucio E. Lim Jr. The company operates a fleet of twenty Roll-on/Roll-off (RO-RO) cargo passenger vessels connecting destinations across the Visayas-Mindanao (VisMin) region, including routes between Cebu, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Siquijor, and Ormoc. Its flagship M/V Lite Ferry 8 carries nearly 800 passengers and up to 18 cargo trucks, and 90% of the fleet (18 vessels) has been re-engined with fuel-efficient Weichai Marine Engines (German Deutz-based technology) under the Going Green Energy Savings Program.

The company generates revenue through three primary streams: per-trip passenger ticket sales, per-trip vehicle transportation (cars and cargo trucks), and LiteBox, a transactional parcel and cargo sub-brand offering parcel delivery at ₱150, small boxes up to 5 kg at ₱250-350, and large boxes up to 15 kg at ₱400-550 across selected routes. Distribution is omnichannel: physical port ticketing offices and booths, the self-service booking platform at booking.barkota.com (with a Barkota mobile app), and a network of branch offices in Cebu City, Tagbilaran, Ormoc, Cagayan de Oro, and Jagna.

Lite Shipping is a family-owned, founder-led operator with no disclosed institutional investors or parent company. Its competitive positioning rests on multi-year Hall of Fame recognition for Cleanest Ship of the Year from MARINA and the Bureau of Quarantine, sole-operator status on several key VisMin corridors, and ongoing investment in fleet modernization and the Lite Port Center Cebu corporate campus along M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Cebu City.

Name

LITE SHIPPING CORPORATION

Legal name

Lite Shipping Corporation

Website

https://liteferries.com.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Passenger and Cargo Ferry Services

NAICS

Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ro-Pax Ferry Operators (Passenger + Vehicle Ferries) (TLAFALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

RoPax Ferry Operators (Passenger + Vehicle) (THAEAGAC), Finished Vehicle Ocean RoRo & Deep-Sea Vehicle Carriers (TLADAJAC), Ferry Terminal, Port & Passenger Handling Services (THAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Passenger ferry services
• RO-RO cargo shipping
• Inter-island transport
• Maritime passenger services
• Sea cargo delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Cebu City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Passenger Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling passage tickets for passengers traveling on RO-RO vessels across various routes in the VisMin region.
2. Vehicle Transportation: Revenue from transporting vehicles (cars, trucks) on RO-RO vessels. Requires vehicle registration documents.
3. LiteBox Cargo Services: Package and cargo delivery services including Parcel (₱150), Small Box (₱250-350), and Large Box (₱400-550) services between various routes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lite Shipping Corporation operates RO-RO (roll-on/roll-off) cargo passenger ferry services across the Visayas-Mindanao (VisMin) region of the Philippines under the Lite Ferries brand, transporting passengers and vehicles on 20 vessels. The company also offers the LITEBOX parcel and cargo shipping service, providing same-voyage drop-off with 24-hour delivery between ports including Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro, Tagbilaran, Ormoc, and Jagna.

Product overview

Lite Shipping Corporation operates a fleet of 20 RO-RO cargo passenger vessels providing ferry services across the VisMin region of the Philippines. The core offering is the Lite Ferries passenger and cargo service, supported by LITEBOX, a cargo/parcel shipping sub-product enabling same-day pickup and 24-hour delivery. The company serves routes connecting Cebu, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Zamboanga del Norte, with flagship vessel M/V Lite Ferry 8 carrying up to 800 passengers and 18 trucks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LiteBox: Cargo shipping service offering parcel and box delivery across various routes including Cebu City - Cagayan de Oro, Jagna - Cagayan de Oro, Cebu to Tagbilaran, and Cebu to Ormoc with parcel rates from ₱150, small box (5kg) from ₱350, and large box (15kg) from ₱550.

Products and services

• Lite Ferries (Passenger and Cargo Ferry Service) Core passenger and cargo ferry service operating RO-RO (roll-on/roll-off) vessels across the VisMin region of the Philippines, connecting destinations including Cebu, Bohol, Zamboanga del Norte, Samboan, Dapitan, Toledo City, San Carlos City, Jagna, Tagbilaran, Tubigon, Getafe, and Cagayan de Oro. The flagship M/V Lite Ferry 8 carries up to 18 trucks and nearly 800 passengers.
• LITEBOX (Parcel and Cargo Shipping Service) Cargo and parcel shipping service offering parcel (₱150), small box up to 5kg (₱250-350), and large box up to 15kg (₱400-550) options with delivery within 24 hours of vessel departure. Routes include Cebu City-Cagayan de Oro, Jagna-Cagayan de Oro, Cebu-Tagbilaran, and Cebu-Ormoc.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 out of 20 vessels (90%) equipped with new fuel-efficient Weichai Marine engines
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Weesam Express: Cebu-based fast ferry operator with comparable Visayas route coverage to Lite Ferries, focused on speed ferries rather than RoPax.
• OceanJet: Cebu-based fast-craft passenger ferry operator across Visayas routes, comparable to Lite Ferries in customer base but differentiated by vessel type.

Direct peers

• Cokaliong Shipping Lines: Philippine inter-island RoPax ferry operator serving Cebu-based VisMin and Visayas routes that directly overlap with Lite Ferries' network.
• Montenegro Shipping Lines: VisMin-focused inter-island RoPax and cargo ferry operator with overlapping routes to Lite Ferries, especially on Cebu-Bohol-Mindanao corridors.
• Trans-Asia Shipping Lines: Visayas and Mindanao-focused RoPax ferry operator competing head-to-head with Lite Shipping on similar Cebu-anchored inter-island routes.
• Roble Shipping Lines: Cebu-anchored inter-island RoPax ferry operator running similar Visayas and Mindanao routes to Lite Ferries.
• 2GO Travel: Largest Philippine inter-island passenger and cargo ferry operator with broad VisMin and Luzon coverage; directly comparable to Lite Shipping as a competing RoPax ferry operator in the same routes.
• Starlite Ferries: Philippine inter-island RoPax ferry operator serving Batangas and Visayas routes, comparable to Lite Shipping in vessel type and customer mix.
• Archipelago Philippine Ferries: Philippine RoPax ferry operator with multi-island network overlapping Lite Shipping's inter-island passenger and cargo services.

Broad incumbents

• FastCat (Aboitiz/2GO group): Government-supported modern RoRo ferry brand backed by a large Philippine conglomerate, competing with Lite Shipping on selected VisMin corridors with newer vessels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LiteShippingCorporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/liteferries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lite-shipping-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LITE SHIPPING CORPORATION