PPA completes P313.15M
projects in first 9 months
THE Philippine Ports Authority
(PPA) has completed P313.15 million in locally-funded
port projects, while expenses for ongoing construction
have reached P1.48 billion as of the first nine
months of the year. The port agency said most
of the completed projects are in the country's
major outports. These include the reefer rack
structure and power house project at Davao (II)
port; reclamation and widening of causeway at
Tubigon port; reclamation with roll-on/roll-off
(ro-ro) on fill at Malangas port.
Also completed were the extension of reinforced
concrete (R.C.) pier and construction of ro-ro
ramp at Roxas port; and extension of R.C. wharves
at the ports of Puerto Princesa and Coron in Palawan.
PPA noted among the ports nearing completion as
of the third quarter are the marine slipway berth
improvement at the North Harbor, already 96.15%
complete; and the R.C. pier and reclamation at
Dumangas port, 94.37% complete. The North Harbor
modernization has already incurred a whopping
P422.24 million in expenses to date, while that
of the 80.36% complete wharf at the Pulupandan
port has reached P275.25 million.
Projects are also ongoing at the ports of Abra
de Ilog (construction of breakwater, ro-ro ramp
and R.C. platform and installation of port lighting
system, P29.14 million); Bislig (port development,
P10.83 million); Caticlan (construction of R.C.
pier, ro-ro ramp, reclamation, breasting dolphin
and installation of port lighting system, P18.08
million); Dalahican (reclamation and access road,
P143.10 million); Dapitan (port expansion, P88.48
million); General Santos (reefer rack structure
and power house, P6.58 million); Iloilo (improvement
of river wharf, P36.48 million); Larena (reclamation,
wharf extension and road pavement, P62.96 million);
Nasipit (wharf extension, P84.81 million).
Pagadian (reclamation and extension of R.C. wharf,
P24.14 million); Pantao (construction of ro-ro
ramp and reclamation, P70.98 million); Pasacao
( reclamation and additional back-up area, P33.87
million); Pola (construction of R.C. pier, ro-ro
ramp, reclamation, causeway breasting dolphins
and port lighting system, P23.36 million); Tacloban
(reclamation and construction of R.C. wharf, P65.83
million); and Tagbilaran (port expansion, P27.26
million). Meanwhile, PPA said it has suspended
the construction of a transit shed at the port
of Davao - already 53.97% complete - due to some
legal wranglings related to residents around the
area. Expenses have reached P42.92 million to
date.
On dredging operations from January to September,
the port regulator disclosed F.F. Cruz & Co.,
Inc., the dredging contractor under the privatized
setup, has already accomplished the removal of
2.390 million cubic meters of silt. These were
taken from dredging projects at the South Harbor
entrance channel and fairway leading to Pier 15;
Manila International Container Terminal entrance
channel; Piers 2, 6 and Marine Slipway of North
Harbor; Iloilo river fairway (phases 1 & 2);
and the ports of Roxas and Caticlan in Mindoro.
PPA also noted expenses for repair and maintenance
of port facilities as of end-September has reached
P97.21 million. Of the 86 repair and maintenance
projects for the year, 22 were completed, nine
are ongoing and the rest have not yet started.
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Growth in port sector seen amid
economic setbacks
PROSPECTS for the country's
international ports are promising in the long
term despite the current downtrend in the economy.
This is according to former Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Dr. Cielito Habito in last week's PortCalls
- organized Cargo Economics Conference. He said
the availability of efficient port services and
facilities can help regional economic centers
connect to the global community which, in the
long run, can stimulate growth. Habito said ports
like those in Batangas, Subic and Cagayan de Oro
will continue to grow as long as efficient operations
are in place.
He noted what hinders the potential growth is
the lack of access of the country's international
ports to the world market due to existing policies
that prevent the entry of foreign investments."There
is a need to amend the existing policies that
discourage businessmen to inject more investments
in our country," Habito said, adding the
Philippines should not expect investments to pour
in with this kind of a setup.
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PHILPESTA pushes urgent privatization
of PSTC
THE Philippine Petroleum Sea
Transport Association (PHILPESTA) is pushing for
the privatization as soon as possible of the state-run
company Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) Shipping
and Transport Corp. (PSTC). In a letter to the
Privatization Council (PrC), an attached agency
of the Department of Finance (DOF), the group
said the privatization process must no longer
be delayed since PSTC has been given since 1995
to enhance its value.
PHILPESTA stressed privatization of non-profitable
government-owned corporations must be persistently
pushed now more than ever in view of the country's
current fiscal crisis. "The government needs
to increase revenues and reduce its persistent
budget deficits," it said. Since 1997, the
company has accumulated losses amounting to P9.8
million, according to the group. Its retained
earnings dropped to only P93.5 million in end-2002
from P208.1 million in 1997. Also, cash and cash
equivalents were depleted to only P100.6 million
in 2002 from P177.6 million in 1997.
PHILPESTA said PSTC's preferred mode of vessel
acquisition - bareboat chartering - also does
not contribute to the expansion of the Philippine
tanker fleet since the ownership stays with the
foreign operator.
Recently, the PrC in response to the tankers association's
clamor, ordered the PSTC to formulate and submit
immediately its privatization plan to the DOF.
Many private companies have expressed interest
in acquiring the company, which handles the bulk
of Petron and the National Power Corporation's
requirements.
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Ship agents wants say on port
development initiatives
The Philippine Ship Agents Association
(PSAA) is urging the Philippine Ports Authority
(PPA) to ensure that all port stakeholders are
being consulted on port development projects.
An official from the association said there were
some PPA-facilitated projects launched without
consultation with parties concerned. The P200-million
Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) for the
port of Manila is one such program, he said. The
VTMS is a monitoring facility for marine vessel
movement covering vessels coming and going in
the North and South Harbors in Manila. The radar
station, though, would be set up in Corregidor.
He said the ship agents commend PPA, but noted
it failed to clarify some issues, particularly
costs, once the system is already operational.
The ship agents fear that the PPA may charge additional
fees to recover costs incurred to put the system
in place."We cannot afford more costs, considering
how tough it is to make money these days,"
he said, noting that the additional costs will
have a domino effect on the entire industry eventually
resulting in increased prices of consumer products.
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Archives
| 2004 Q1 : October
| Novemeber | December
November
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15
November 17
| November
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24
| November
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