THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is gunning to approve several unsolicited port development proposals in the next few months to jump-start the construction and modernization of new and existing sea terminals in the country.
Jay Daniel R. Santiago, the general manager of the port regulator, said the project in the most advanced stage is the Davao Sasa Port Development offer of Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp.
It has been submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Investment Coordination Committee (ICC).
“We are done with the negotiations and we’ve sent it to the Neda ICC. Based on regulamentary periods, we should be able to award that by the first quarter of 2020,” he said.
The P11-billion proposal, submitted by Davao-based businessman Dennis A. Uy, involves the rehabilitation of the existing terminal and the installation of modern equipment in the port. It will be done in four phases, and each phase will serve as an indicator of a certain milestone in cargo and passenger volumes.
The proposal also includes the reclamation of land to expand the port for both international and domestic cargo and passenger traffic. It also involves the operation and maintenance of the port for a period of 25 years.
Other port development proposals submitted to the port regulatory body are for the construction and modernization of the ports in General Santos and Iloilo.
“We are almost done in the pre-negotiation stages for General Santos. We will start the negotiations for that by late September or October,” he said. “Then we will try to make parallel negotiations for Iloilo,” Santiago said.
Kudos Trucking Corp. wants to rehabilitate the port of General Santos, while International Container Terminal Services Inc. of billionaire Enrique K. Razon offered to spend P8.7 billion to develop a port in Iloilo.
“We haven’t issued the certificate of completeness for both General Santos and Iloilo,” Santiago noted. “They are still for clarification.”