The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has earmarked close to P6 billion to fund more than 100 port projects this year to further boost its infrastructure investment drive as the agency marks its 44th anniversary this July.
PPA in a statement said the big investment is part of its vision to provide port services of global standards by 2020.
It is also in line with the current thrust of the Duterte administration to realize the golden age of infrastructure and to bring port standards on a par with those of international partners. The move is likewise parallel to a major program of the International Maritime Organization to build better ports for the future, PPA noted.
PPA general manager Atty. Jay Daniel R. Santiago said the infrastructure projects will focus on enabling full containerization of Philippine ports and providing larger backup areas; safe and convenient passenger terminal buildings; and the upgrade and construction of cruise terminals in key areas nationwide.
“The President’s and Sec. Arthur P. Tugade’s marching orders are to heavily invest [in] port infrastructure in order to provide port services of global standards by 2020,” Santiago said.
“Since the start of the year, almost all of our resources have been directed to our port projects. We have already required all our contractors and suppliers to increase their productivity in order to finish the projects, particularly the locally-funded projects (LFPs), on time if not ahead of time,” Santiago stressed.
“This year, we have earmarked close to P6 billion to carry out our LFPs, which run to around 109 port projects, wherein, 46 are from Luzon, 23 in the Visayas and 40 projects in Mindanao,” Santiago said.
For Luzon, a total of nine projects have been completed while 18 are ongoing and 19 are under procurement. In the Visayas, six have been completed, 10 are ongoing, and five projects are under procurement.
Mindanao, meanwhile, registered the biggest number of completed projects with 21 while 49 projects are ongoing and 35 projects under procurement.
At the same time, PPA is carrying out several infrastructure projects in key areas to support the booming cruise industry by developing international hubs for cruise liners like Surigao, Ilocos Norte, Bohol, Boracay, Metro Manila, and Palawan, which make up the nation’s major nautical cruise arteries. The agency has also lined up various port programs to develop cruise terminals in these areas.
The more than 1,000% increase in the number of cruise tourism passengers suggests the country is slowly reaping the benefits of initiatives by government agencies such as PPA and Department of Tourism to bring in more cruise ships, the port authority said.
It noted as an example the simultaneous docking of cruise ships at the Manila South Harbor recently.
Manila South Harbor, managed and operated by Asian Terminals, Inc., recently handled four big cruise ships, namely, SuperStar Virgo of Star Cruises, Costa Atlantica of Costa Cruises, Amsterdam of Holland America Lines, and Silver Shadow of Silversea Cruises.
