The Philippine Ports Authority Port District Office-Southern Mindanao in Davao City recently released the Notice of Award (NOA) for P66.87-M worth of projects to the Zet Construction and the MRB Construction and Supply for the construction of the roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ports in Pantukan, Compostela Valley and Tagpopongan, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, respectively.
This development is in congruence with the directive of President Gloria Arroyo to expand the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) lateral links in the Davao Region 11.
The president earlier broached the concept of establishing a RoRo system within the ASEAN during the Fifth Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area Summit in Hua Hin, Thailand last February.
SRNH refers to the alliances of major and feeder RoRo capable ports linking the country’s major islands Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, and vice versa with an average of four hours per stopover.
Ro-Ro projects have always placed top priority in the PPA Port System and have been expedited to be responsive to the needs of the public and in line with the central government’s vision of linking the Philippine islands through the Road-RoRo Transport System (RRTS), SoMin Port District manager Abdussabor Sawadjaan announced during a press conference with local reporters on Mindanao port developments.
RRTS embodies the mechanism of a nationwide operation of both public and privately-managed ports with PPA prescribed charges for vehicles and rolling cargoes. Its concept stemmed from the desire to bring down the cost of maritime transport by paying only the terminal fee.
In the same forum, PDM Sawadjaan, who made the announcement in the presence of presidential adviser on Mindanao affairs Secretary Jesus Dureza, also bared PPA’s plan to expand the port of Glan, Sarangani Province and to add a RoRo facility to the existing pier to boost trade, transport and tourism with Tahuna, Indonesia as part of the initiatives of the BIMP-EAGA. Indonesia had earlier committed to put up a port in Tahuna for the purpose.
The government of Glan has an existing trade partnership with Bitung, Malaysia and its PPA developed port caters to fishing and passenger vessels to and from General Santos City and Mabila in Balut Island, Sarangani municipality.
Tagpopongan is located at the north side of the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte Province which is facing the coast of Pantukan, Compostela Valley Province, hence, the twin Ro-Ro port developments in the two areas.
The contract price for Pantukan is P29.76-M, which covers the construction of its RoRo ramp and rock causeway while Tagpopongan, which has a budget pegged at P37.79 M will also include a RoRo ramp and rock causeway.
A significant RoRo infrastructure in Babak, Samal Island facing the Davao City mainland completed in 2008 was made possible by PPA’s locally-funded engineering project worth P49.95-M, which also included a reclamation and expansion of its back-up area.
Port engineering work at the back side of Samal Island at present with this newly-awarded contract for the Tagpopongan development is projected to spur socio-economic exchanges as well as improve transport of local goods and passengers to neighboring towns through the RRTS.
The strategic connection of Tagpopongan to the adjacent Pantukan municipality which is located in another province of the Davao Region through the RRTS would also enable a more efficient consolidation of its distinct agricultural and industrial commodities for trading in other domestic destinations and eventually for export.
Samal Island, the nearest link between Davao City and Pantukan town, has been challenged to push for the continuous enhancement of its RoRo and road networks to activate an economic triad similar to that of Jose Abad Santos-Glan-Sarangani Cooperation Triangle (JAGS-CT).
Pantukan and Tagpopongan RoRo port projects are slated to be completed within 412 and 430 calendar days, respectively, reckoned about 30 days from the issue of the NOA in October 19, 2009.
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