By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — Is having two seaports in this capital city beneficial or not? Mayor Monico Puentevella wants to know.
Puentevella yesterday said he will create a task force that, through a study, will determine the advantages and disadvantages of having two seaports here.
The task force will comprise eight members, mostly from the business sector, he said.
Puentevella sees the bright side of the planned Banago port development pegged at P741 million.
Having two seaports might reduce the cost of goods and services in the city, he said.
Still, he will let the task force conduct the study. “My management style is always (about) consultation with people. It should not be the mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod who should decide,” he said.
Whatever result the study may have “will ensure that there will no blaming in the end,” said Puentevella.
There are currently two ports here: the city port, operated by Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) and the Banago port under the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
PPA wants to further develop Banago port, but its plan became controversial when Bredco opposed it.
Seeing Banago port as an unfair competitor, Bredco said the port’s development would put Bredco port operation at a disadvantage
Later, it was found out that PPA’s plan might displace about 1,000 informal settlers living around the port in Barangay Banago.
Asked to comment on this, the mayor said, “Do not touch the squatters. … We only want the port to be developed so the people can have a choice,” he said.
PPA is currently awaiting the City Council’s approval of its port zone delineation plan, which will give way to the development.
The City Development Council — of which Puentevella is a member — has already approved the plan.
He clarified, however, that it will oppose any reclamation activity at the Banago port area.
“It should be the city government that should initiate any reclamation project,” Puentevella said./PN
