Plan for int'l port in Liloan revived

CEBU, Philippines - Representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Department of Transportation and Communications are set to meet in Cebu today to revisit the study of the proposed P20.4-billion international container port in the Liloan-Consolacion area which was shelved in 2002.

The study was conducted by JICA in 2000 to construct an offshore container port after the container traffic congestion was already felt at the existing Cebu International Port.

But the study on the proposed new container terminal was reportedly shelved by the Cebu Port Commission in 2002.

“It was recently last year that we intended to revisit this because the problem on traffic management, capacity and volume accommodation huot na gyud kaayo,” Cebu Port Authority General Manager Dennis Villamor said.

Villamor said that one of the factors that led to the congestion is the narrow roads in Cebu City that can no longer accommodate the domestic and international container movers.

There was a study also conducted in other areas like the northern and southern portion of Mactan Island, Minglanilla and in the South Reclamation Project.

Villamor said that the Liloan area was identified to be most feasible for the construction of the facility.

“After sa study sa JICA, they found out that the best possible place where the port should be, passing all criteria nga ilang gibutang ang diha gyud sa corridor sa Consolacion-Liloan area,” Villamor said.

The construction will have two phases with a budget of P10.2 billion each. The total area of the facility is 60 hectares offshore.

After revisiting the study, the Cebu Port Commission has to approve it and forward it to DOTC to have all the papers ready for the approval of the National Economic Development Authority and finally with the Office of the President.

Villamor said that there are two ways to acquire funding for the project such as public-private partnership or the old system of having a loan.

“Depende sa Commission ug advice sa NEDA unsay maayo para namo,” he said.

Villamor estimated the preparation to take 24 months before it can formally start the construction that will take another three to five years. —/BRP (FREEMAN)