Batangas Port: An anchor of economic and tourism development
November 4, 2009 9:48 am
By Lynda B. Valencia
MANILA, Nov. 4 — Batangas City port is the center for transportation of goods produced in the hinterland, primarily in Batangas province and serves as the strategic trading point for all industries in the CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).
It also plays an important role in the economic, social, and tourism development in southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as the jump-off point of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) for passengers and rolling cargoes from Luzon.
Alex T Cruz, Batangas Port manager said the Batangas Port Development Project (BDBP) Phase 2 will serve not only Mindanao Island and other Islands within the economic range but will also respond to the demands of burgeoning trade, commerce and tourism.
Cruz said the present base port (Phase 1) has a total area of 22.60 hectares constructed at a cost of P1.60 billion in 1999 under the 17th Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) loan. It was expanded to a total of 150 hectares with the addition of Phase 2.
Its facilities include multi-purpose berth, domestic general cargo berth and ferry berth; roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) ramps; three passenger terminal buildings (PTBs); storage areas; passenger boarding bridges and elevated walkways; and marshalling yard. <p<The Batangas Port is one of the 10 ports being improved by the Philippine Ports Authorities (PPA).
In 1981, a preliminary study was made by PPA and in 1985 a feasibility study was made by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), serving as the main gate to or from Mindanao and Visayas for general cargo, RO-RO cargo, ferry and fast craft passenger services.
Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI) and International Container Terminal, Inc, (ICTSI) are currently operating Phase 1. “There are also the two bidders for Phase 2,” Cruz said.
“Several shipping lines have stopped calling at the port. Only two international vessels are calling at the port once every two weeks,” Cruz added.
In 2005. the American President Lines (APL) withdrew its operations from the port and transferred back to Manila and Subic where they enjoy several privileges.
“We have already started to construct perimeter fences in order to prevent informal settlers to set-up structures in the vacant areas inside the port. The PPA had paid P434 million to relocate the informal settlers,” Cruz said.
“On the other hand, Phase 2 of the BPDP is the first upgrade of PPA facilities of wider scale for economic activities,” Cruz said.
He said Phase 2, which is located in a 128 hectare area and caters to pure cargo. It was constructed at a cost of P2.97 billion.
A project assisted by a P5.5 billion from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), it was completed two months ahead of the scheduled completion.
The additional amount will be used to pure cargo-handling equipment for its operation.
“We also plan to extend the current berthing area by another one kilometer to accommodate post-Panamax vessels,” Cruz said.
For its security, Cruz said they have installed total port security system such as the Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS), closed Circuit television system (CCTV), gate management system, mobile x-ray scanning machine and harbor craft.
They also installed navigational aids, reefer van, maintenance shop and constructed container freight station, power house and pump house.
Phase 2 is divided into three Packages. Package 1 is the civil and marine works. Included are the container terminal, general cargo berth, accessing and services road, dredging and reclamation works, building and supporting facilities.
For Package 2, five boarding bridges were completed while Package 3, port access and flyover were constructed.
The BPDP is also equipped with cargo handling equipment estimated to cost P1.06 billion.
“The port have been equipped with two quays to accommodate more cargoes,” Cruz said.
The port services, Cruz said, includes cargo handling, contracted to ATI, including porterage and other port related services; pilotage, bunkering, tug assistance and watering.
He said the additional improvements to the port on top of the approved plan have further boost the attractiveness of the port to possible investors during privatizations.(PNA Features) /V3/LBV/
Re: Batangas Port
How would the Batangasu port intends to cater container handling when the port does not handle any containerised cargo? when phase 2 comes in reality by December of this year. As the matter of fact, APIL withdrew its calling and now using Manila and Subic Ports. Your comment please.
Kind regards,
Goro Y. Yamamoto
November 18, 2009
Are you going to have containerised cargoes at Batangas Terminal? Batangas port does not handle containerised cargo,,,according to Business Site, Malaya of October 30,,,,,your comment please