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The Department of Transportation is hoping to earmark P1.4 billion under the 2025 budget for 14 roll-on/roll-off ports
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The ports, each with an estimated average construction cost of P100 million, will form part of five new roro port clusters
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In addition, a P550-million expansion of the Sorsogon RoRo Terminal is in the pipeline
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is hoping to allocate P1.4 billion under the 2025 budget for 14 roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ports.
The ports, each with an estimated average construction cost of P100 million, will form part of five new roro port clusters designed to further develop the country’s RoRo system, Transportation assistant secretary for maritime Atty. Julius Yano said in a presentation at the Transport and Logistics Forum organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Inc.
These RoRo port clusters are in Northern Luzon, Eastern Luzon, East West Lateral, Central Visayas, and Mindanao.
Transportation Undersecretary Elmer Sarmiento told PortCalls the agency is looking for grants to fund the project’s feasibility studies.
The proposed new routes will be in addition to routes in the Philippine Nautical Highway System.
As of 2022, Yano said the Western Nautical Highway has four routes served by a total of 14 operators and 45 RoRo vessels. These routes are Batangas-Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; Roxas, Oriental Mindoro-Caticlan, Aklan; Dumagas, Iloilo-Bacolod, Negros Occidental; and Dumaguete, Negros Oriental-Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.
The Central Nautical Highway has five routes: Pilar, Sorsogon-Aroroy, Masbate; Cawayan, Masbate-Bogo, Cebu; Cebu City-Tubigon, Bohol; Jagna, Bohol-Mambajao, Camiguin; and Benoni, Camiguin-Balingoan, Misamis Oriental. Seven vessels operate in the area.
The Eastern Nautical Highway, also known as Pan-Pacific Highway, is served by approximately 20 RoRo vessels handled by 10 operators. Its routes are Matnog, Sorsogon-Allen, Samar; and Liloan, Southern Leyte-Liapta, Surigao del Norte.
Sorsogon expansion
In addition, a P550-million expansion of the Sorsogon roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) terminal is in the pipeline to boost the country’s RoRo network.
National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Joseph Capuno in a separate forum in June said the Philippine Ports Authority is set to implement the project.
It involves construction of a continuous ramp that can accommodate 5 to 6 vessels simultaneously, and a backup area for increased maneuverability and queuing efficiency.
The project will help correct the imbalance between Sorsogon and Samar ports, DOTr’s Yano said.
Matnog port in Sorsogon currently has eight ramps while there are a total of 13 ramps in four ports on the Samar side.
Yano noted Sorsogon RoRo terminal serves as a critical backbone for passenger and cargo transport from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao and vice versa.
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“Developing this port is a major step to the promotion of inter-island connectivity via the nautical highway system and improvements in line with the National Logistics Strategy and the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to make the Philippines the logistics hub in the ASEAN region,” he said.
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