TACLOBAN CITY – The Leyte provincial government will start constructing an international seaport in Babatngon town in 2025 to improve the local economy.
The seaport, which will be known as the Leyte Province International Port and Leyte Export Processing Complex, will be funded through a P1.6-billion loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines, Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla said.
“With this port, there will be no more transshipment if there are importations intended for Eastern Visayas, resulting in lower prices of goods,” Petilla told reporters.
The governor noted that cargoes intended for Eastern Visayas have to pass through Cebu City before reaching Leyte and Samar provinces, thereby increasing marketing and delivery costs.
The P1.6-billion international seaport project, therefore, will lower tariff rates for port users, generate employment, reduce travel time for shipping navigation, and increase the influx and outflux of products and commodities, Petilla said.
The governor said they chose Babatngon as the site for the international seaport due to its proximity to Samar Island, and cargo ships would not have to cross the San Juanico Strait or pass the San Juanico Bridge.
“Aside from its strategic location, despite its excellent maritime access, the town’s economic potential is still underutilized and needs to be developed. This will also help in minimizing province reliance on the Tacloban and Ormoc ports, which will help in decongesting urban roads,” he added.
The proposed international port was conceptualized due to several constraints at the Tacloban port, such as the limited vertical clearance of San Juanico Bridge.
The position paper from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), endorsing and highlighting the project’s urgency and its strategic value, also drove the province to pursue the project, Petilla said.
The proposed international port will cover 20 hectares in its initial development and an additional 20 hectares for its future development, the Leyte provincial government said.
The area is located a kilometer away from the national highway and will require the construction of an access road, Petilla said.
Aside from the port area, it will also have a container yard, warehouse, and docking for roll-on, roll-off ships, the Leyte governor said.
Once completed, Petilla said the provincial government would handle initial management of the port.
“But we prefer that the management be outsourced because we need the expertise of the private sector that has experience, but the province remains in control over the operation of the port,” he said.
The provincial government has targeted to complete the project by 2027, Petilla said. (PNA)
