P1 billion port expansion project done

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Transportation and the Cebu Port Authority inaugurated the other day the recently-completed port expansion project at Berths 7-10, Cebu Baseport in Cebu City.

The P989 million worth completed project sourced from the CPA Corporate Budget aims to accommodate the projected increase of granty cranes to achieve shorter turn-around time for cargo operations.

The project includes the construction of a 40-meter width and 310-meter length reinforced concrete deck and back-up/operation area, port lighting system, complete mooring and docking facilities and gantry crane rails.

In a statement, CPA said that this newly-expanded port is seen to accommodate increased vessel traffic, improve cargo handling capacity and enhance the overall port productivity of the Cebu Baseport, one of the busiest and main gateway ports in the country.

In his message, CPA general manager Leonilo Miole said that the completion of this multi-million port infrastructure project is a significant milestone for CPA under the Build, Build, Build Program of the Duterte administration.

He also expressed his commitment on behalf of the CPA to continuously initiate port development and improvement projects to ensure more convenient and safer port operations for the benefit of all port users and stakeholders.

DOTr Undersecretary for Maritime ADM George Ursabia, on behalf of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, congratulated the officials and management of CPA for the completion of the port expansion project.

Ursabia said that the project supports the goal of the DOTr to provide port services of global standards, which translates to comfortable lives for Filipinos.

Phase 1 of the expansion project with a budget of P339-million started in August 2017 and was completed and operationalized in January 2019.

Phase 2 of the said project commenced in February 2020 with a budget of P600 million and was turned-over to CPA in October 2021 following the completion of contract with UKC Builders, Inc.

Aside from Miole and Ursabia, those who attended the inauguration and ceremonial lighting of the completed project were DOTR Assistant Secretary for Maritime VADM Narciso Vingson Jr., Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Felix Taguiam and representatives of cargo-handling service providers. —GMR (BANAT NEWS)