DOTr beefs up investments in maritime, seaport sectors

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The Department of Transportation is working with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to identify major ports investment in the country which include cargo, roll-on/roll-off, farm to market and greenfield port projects in the next few years.

During the panel discussion at the 9th joint economic briefings in Makati yesterday, Timothy John Batan, DOTr undersecretary for Planning and Project Development, said that the country’s investments in the maritime and seaport sector is expected to ramp up in the next few years.

“We started saying that our maritime and seaports sector pipeline (project) is probably going to be one of our fastest growing in the next few years” Batan added.

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“In the same way that we’ve been growing our rail infrastructure investment portfolio and our aviation airport portfolio, we are also putting much-needed catch-up work on our maritime seaport investments, especially since we are the second largest archipelago.” He added.

Currently, DOTr have an ongoing national maritime connectivity and port development master plan that’s being developed by the World Bank which is set to be completed by the second quarter this year according to Batan.

Once completed, the DOTr will be able to identify the top six cargo port gaps, in the country.   

“We’re done with the first phase of that (study). We’re done with a freight flow analysis. We’ve mapped how practical and all goods have been moving between and among the major centers in the country. And that’s done. And now we’re almost finished with the investment identification and prioritization element of that exercise.” Batan said.  

DOTr is setting the stage to substantially expand its investment portfolio in the seaport sector.  

“What’s going to come out of that World Bank study is a list of our top cargo port investment gaps, particularly the top six. So we say top six because we’re targeting two in Luzon two in Visayas and two in Mindanao.

In addition, DOTr has also tapped ADB for maritime transport, logistics, and connectivity study to invest in the top 12 roll-on and roll-off ports and identify the 200 farm-to-market ports and social tourism ports throughout the country.

DOTr will also pursue the development of offshore wind port investment. “There’s a list of offshore wind ports, retail offshore wind ports that we are also working on, and this is also being developed together with the Asian Development Bank.” He added.  

State-run, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has been is ramping up its Green Port program by using clean and renewable energy sources in several ports nationwide.

Ongoing green port projects include the ports of Sasa in Davao City, Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Capinpin in Bataan, Catagbacan in Bohol, Siargao in Surigao del Norte, Lavonia in Cagayan, Plaridel in Misamis Occidental, and Balogo in Camarines Norte.

Part of this Green Port program is the use of clean and renewable energy sources in ports through the installation of solar-powered lighting and the replacement of compact fluorescent lamps and high-pressure sodium lamps to LED lighting systems in office and terminal buildings.

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