Friday, September 23, 2011By Elias O. Baquero
EXPERTS from the Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry (Meti) of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will conduct an initial presentation of the updates of their review of the international container port plan for the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) on Sept. 30.
Undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) said they will invite Rep. Tomas Osmeña because the CPA and Japanese experts want to listen to his inputs.
Meti and Jica experts conducted a review of its previous feasibility study for a new port because trailers and prime mover trucks delivering containers from the existing Cebu International Port (CIP) in Cebu City are causing congestion in major roads leading to the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
The experts revisited the sites recommended for the international port and will review the files of the previous feasibility study for three weeks. The result of the review will be presented during the Sept. 30 presentation.
Last July 28, during the second presentation of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (Koica), Osmeña proposed the transfer of the airport to the Municipality of Cordova, which is called South Mactan.
Osmeña also proposed that side-by-side with the future airport in Cordova, a new international seaport may be constructed in North Mactan, particularly in Barangay Punta Engaño.
Batuhan, the alternate chairman of both MCIAA and CPA, said he has no objection to Osmeña’s proposal because as early as 2002, Cebu already needed another international port.
He said that in 2002, Jica conducted a study for a new Cebu international port in five sites, including South Mactan, North Mactan, the Liloan-Consolacion area, and Minglanilla town.
Jica recommended that the Liloan-Consolacion area as the site of the new Cebu international airport. However, then CPA general manager Mariano Martinez said this was shelved because a big part of the area needs to be reclaimed.
Earlier, Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy said the major roads in the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue will be decongested if the existing Mactan airport is transferred to his town because of a proposed bridge that will link Cordova to Cebu City.
Batuhan expects the attendance of CPA General Manager Dennis Villamor, and Commissioners Carlos, Benjamin Akol, Joselito Pedaria, Vicente Suazo and Tomas A. Riveral, who composed the Cebu Port Commission, the policy-making body of the CPA.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 23, 2011
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