CPA assures unimpeded flow of goods, food supply

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) assured of continuous port operations to ensure unimpeded flow of goods amid enhanced community quarantine in Cebu due to the threat of COVID-19.

“Amid the threat posed by COVID-19 and the implementation of ECQ, CPA continues to provide support by manning our ports to ensure the unhampered movement of cargoes, basic and essential goods and other necessities,” said CPA general manager Leonilo Miole.

Miole also asked the law enforcement officers manning border checkpoints to allow passage of all authorized CPA personnel and port workers.

“Our port frontline and skeletal workforce has to be in place in order for the port to be fully operational and to make sure that all preventive measures against COVID-19 are being followed and implemented in seaports,” Miole said.

Executive Order No. 5-N and Executive Order No. 64, issued by the Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, respectively, provide the mandatory home quarantine for all residents except for those who provide essential services and those with quarantine passes.

“We hope that all law enforcement officers assigned at checkpoints or at border control would not prohibit the entry of CPA employees upon presentation of their CPA IDs and/or Certificate of Employment (COE) as these employees perform functions at the port that are essential to ensure the smooth flow of cargoes,” said Miole.

Miole said that CPA has allocated berthing areas for vessels commissioned to transport medical supplies, equipment and health workers to facilitate fast movement and delivery to various healthcare facilities in the province.

CPA also announced that no additional port charges are imposed on the movement of cargoes such as cargo handling, pilotage, terminal, and miscellaneous charges and urged all port stakeholders to immediately report any violation.

“CPA is fully supportive of the efforts to help combat COVID-19, in fact, aside from closely supervising our port operations, CPA is offering all the support we can provide in close coordination with partner national and local government agencies,” Miole added.

Miole said that while CPA is in the process of identifying its assets which may serve as quarantine centers, medical relief and aid distribution locations, or temporary medical facilities, CPA is already offering its Social Hall to be utilized as temporary living quarters for the health workers of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) who live far and have no place to stay in the city after owners of boarding houses refuse to accept them.

“We are doing this as our little way of helping our frontliners and our government in this fight against COVID-19,” Miole said.  FPL (FREEMAN)