Less than one year after super typhoon Yolanda ravaged the country’s belt from Eastern Visayas to Northern Palawan, the rehabilitation of several destroyed airports and seaports in these areas has been completed by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), said the government.
“To speed up recovery in the affected regions, transportation agencies have completed three airport and 14 seaport rehabilitation projects in order to support the victims in their livelihood requirements and in the delivery of their basic needs,” Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a statement.
The 14 ports completely rehabilitated cost P41.2 million, DOTC said. These entailed civil works such as construction of access roads and storage facilities, and rehabilitation of causeways and seawalls.
The fully rehabilitated ports include the following: port of Naval in Biliran; ports of Danao, San Carlos, and Pulupandan in Negros Occidental; ports of Coron, Culion, Cuyo, and El Nido in Palawan; port of Matnog in Sorsogon; ports of Legazpi and Tabaco in Albay and Pasacao in Camarines Sur; port of Maasin in Southern Leyte; and Sta. Fe Port in Bantayan, Cebu.
In an earlier text message to PortCalls, PPA general manager Atty. Juan Sta. Ana said Tacloban port, which was heavily damaged by Yolanda, is now in full commercial operations, and its management has been retaken by the current port operator.
Furthermore, DOTC and PPA have 44 more port rehabilitation projects that are either in progress or in the pipeline. The Cebu Port Authority, on the other hand, has one remaining project for Poro Port, and the Philippine Coast Guard has 14 projects lined up.
Tacloban Airport, which was one of the transport facilities severely damaged in the wake of the super typhoon’s destructive show of power in November 2013, now has a refurbished passenger terminal building (PTB) with new floors, ceilings, walls, windows, doors, finishing, and furniture, according to DOTC.
New sets of safety and security equipment, such as four x-ray machines and four walk-through metal detectors, have also been installed. The administration and project management office buildings have been likewise rehabilitated, while reconstruction of the fire station and perimeter fence is ongoing.
Operations at the airport are, however, limited to small aircraft because of the asphalt overlaying of the runway. DOTC said the government is fast-tracking reconstruction work at the Tacloban airport to accommodate large aircraft by January next year.
Improvement and rehabilitation initiatives being implemented at the airport are estimated to have a total cost of P43.65 million.
Meanwhile, three badly hit airports—Kalibo, Roxas, and Busuanga—were fully rehabilitated last April, June, and October, respectively.
Moreover, CAAP has ongoing rehabilitation works at the Ormoc and Guiuan airports.
Meanwhile, two Land Transportation Office buildings are also being rebuilt in Naval and Ormoc, while three others in Carigara, Palompon, and Tacloban will also be re-established. The Tacloban office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is similarly set for rehabilitation.
Photo from www.dotc.gov.ph
