THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has awarded more port projects, including the construction of a cruise ship port in Coron, Palawan province southwest of the Philippine capital.
PPA General Manager Jay Danie R. Santiago issued a notice of award on June 6 to Makati City-based Premium Megastructures, Inc. for the P418.15-million cruise ship port, documents from the agency’s website showed.
PPA said the port projects are part of the Duterte government’s goal of improving connectivity and mobility across the Philippine archipelago, mainly for trade, investment, tourism and economic growth.
A notice of award was issued on the same day to Batangas-based Great Swiss Metal Builders Corp. for the P145.99-million construction of a wharf and port in the town of San Juan.
Meanwhile, Ormoc City-based MAC Builders got the contract for the P127.09-million construction of the operational area of the Port of Guadalupe in Maasin City, Southern Leyte in central Philippines.
The agency also issued a notice to the Pasig City-based joint venture of GlobalPort Terminals, Inc. and GlobalPort Ozamis Terminal, Inc. to proceed with the management of Sasa Port in Davao. The management contract involves a concession fee of P8.64 billion.
A notice was issued on May 26 to the Agusan del Norte-based joint venture of Equi-Parco Construction Co. and EvenPar Construction and Development Corp. to proceed with the P230.99-million upgrade of the Port of Opol, Misamis Oriental.
PPA said it had completed 600 commercial and social tourism port projects as of May.
Among the ports completed under the Duterte administration were the Port of Salomague in Ilocos Sur as well as the ports of Puerto Princesa, San Fernando, Bataraza and Borac in Palawan, the agency said in a statement.
In the Visayas, the agency finished the ports of Tagbilaran, Maribojoc, Jagna and Dumaguete. In Mindanao, there is the upgraded Port of Cagayan de Oro, Port of Babak in Davao del Norte and Makar Wharf or the General Santos Port.
Some big-ticket seaport projects have started, including the Port of Calapan, which will have a capacity of 3,500 passengers at any given time, and the Port of Zamboanga, which is expected to accommodate 4,000 passengers. — Arjay L. Balinbin