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The Philippine Ports Authority will inaugurate this March three port terminal buildings located in Masbate, Coron and Calapan
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The new facilities are expected to be operational before the Holy Week
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PPA’s cruise terminal in Siargao is now at 80% completion
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will inaugurate three port terminal buildings in Masbate, Coron, and Calapan next month.
PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago, in a press briefing on February 20, said the new and “environmentally sound” terminals will be in place before the start of the Holy Week exodus when most Filipinos travel to their hometowns for the holidays.
He also gave an update on the ongoing construction of a cruise terminal in Siargao.
The ports authority chief said they expect more cruise ship arrivals this year as COVID-19 restrictions are eased and visitors are once again allowed to travel to tourist destinations with minimal quarantine limits. This February, three cruise ship are scheduled to dock at PPA ports while three more are expected this March.
Set for launch next month are the port operations (POB) in Masbate on March 8; the passenger terminal building (PTB) in Coron, Palawan on March 15; and the biggest PTB in the Philippines in Calapan, Mindoro on March 21, according to Santiago.
PPA Masbate has expanded the POB, integrating the PTB with the port operations and port management offices. In Coron, the PTB was expanded to two floors with a capacity of 500 passengers from 250.
Meanwhile, Calapan port will be able to handle about 3,500 passengers at any given time, Santiago said.
As part of the agency’s sustainability efforts, the newly inaugurated terminals boast of environmentally sound features, including use of LED lights.
“[We also have plans for] our terminals [to] run on solar power. To make air-conditioning more efficient in our modern terminals, the layout is now open unlike [in older terminals] that have so many walls. Around 50% of the terminals are also constructed using resilient and weather-proof glass, so lighting is not too expensive. We’re also making improvements on our terminals’ wastewater treatment system,” Santiago said.
PPA is also constructing a cruise terminal in Siargao. “There is an ongoing cruise terminal construction in Siargao which is about 80% complete. This will be the first terminal in the Philippines solely dedicated to cruise operations designed to receive cruise ships and passengers,” he said.
Santiago added the agency is in talks with relevant agencies for tourism infrastructure initiatives. “Considering that we are seeing now an influx of cruise tourism arrivals, we are urging the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority and the Department of Tourism to focus on the development of the cruise ship terminals.”
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