The Manila Times

DoTr completes 143 port projects

A TOTAL of 143 various port projects completed this year will address the long-delayed transportation needs of tourists, fisherfolk and traders in the countryside, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) reported on Friday.

DoTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, during the inauguration of Zamboanga port on Thursday, said the projects highlight President Rodrigo Duterte’s goal of equitable growth and development through connectivity in the country.

“Growth and development of our economy should not be limited in major areas. That people, especially those living in areas that have been neglected for years, should live convenient and comfortable lives,” Tugade said.

Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said the Port of Zamboanga is only part of the 484 port projects completed by the DoTr-PPA since 2016.

Meanwhile, the main bulk of the project, which is the construction of the passenger terminal building (PTB), is still ongoing.

Once completed, the Port of Zamboanga’s PTB is expected to be the largest port PTB in the country, which can accommodate 4,500 passengers at any given time, eclipsing the Ports of Cagayan de Oro and Calapan. In the last two years, the Transportation department’s Maritime Sector has completed 52 port projects in Luzon, 64 port projects in Visayas and 27 port projects in Mindanao.

The completed port projects have managed to generate 4,000 jobs and benefitted over 8,000 fisherfolk nationwide, the department said.

The 143 seaport projects involved the construction of new and modernized social and tourism ports, as well as the rehabilitation and expansion of existing ports, to provide better accessibility to fishers, tourists and coastal communities nationwide.

Secretary Tugade said in Lingayen, Pangasinan, some students had to travel at least 50 minutes to reach their school through a motor banca. With the completed Lingayen Riverside Landing project, students can now reach their destination in just five minutes.

BEN GINES JR.

Business Times

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2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilatimes.pressreader.com/article/281852941854139

The Manila Times