ILOILO City – During his visit to Iloilo on March 8, Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Vivencio Dizon inspected the Iloilo Airport and Visayas Container Terminal, and highlighted the need for the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to prepare for the construction of a domestic cargo terminal. This development aims to address growing demand driven by the rapidly expanding economy of Iloilo City, the province of Iloilo, and the rest of Panay Island, said Dizon.
PPA general manager Daniel Santiago, who accompanied Dizon during the visit, revealed that the Secretary has instructed the agency to inspect and evaluate potential sites for the proposed terminal.
Santiago noted that Fort San Pedro currently serves as the Passenger RORO Terminal, while the Visayas Container Terminal in Barangay Loboc, Lapuz district is expected to transition into a purely international terminal in the next three to four years.
“Secretary Dizon instructed the PPA to assess possible sites for the domestic cargo terminal. As we see it, Fort San Pedro is solely for RORO services, and with the growing economy, especially in Panay Island, we need to address the increasing need for a dedicated cargo terminal,” said Santiago.
The proposal comes in response to concerns raised by Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. about the need for a cargo terminal in Iloilo, aside from the Visayas Container Terminal.
Defensor emphasized the necessity of expanding the Iloilo City Port, which has been a vital gateway for both the city and province. However, he said it would require expansion in the near future to accommodate the growing trade and industry activities.
“Given the expansion of trade and industry, the port will need an upgrade. A logical expansion for another cargo terminal could be in Leganes, Zarraga, or Dumangas towns,” said Defensor.
While Dumangas has an existing port, it primarily serves passenger vessels and their cargo, and does not have the capacity to handle large-scale shipments. Defensor’s proposal includes establishing a cargo terminal capable of handling bulk shipments from other regions.
In a related matter, Dizon confirmed that he had instructed Santiago to present a plan that would ensure the protection of the historical site at Fort San Pedro, which houses the current RORO port. This request follows concerns from Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas about preserving the site’s historical significance.
“One of the important requests of Mayor Treñas was regarding the RORO Port at Fort San Pedro. I am aware of past issues related to the historical value of the site, so we agreed that the PPA will present plans to protect the heritage site,” said Dizon.
Dizon has set a timeline for Santiago to present a plan to protect the historical site. The DOTr Secretary also visited the Visayas Container Terminal to assess its operations under the privatization scheme, with the goal of replicating its success in other ports across the country.
“We want to see how privatization has worked at the Visayas Container Terminal. Before privatization, the port had minimal traffic, but now we are seeing significant activity. We aim to replicate this success at other ports nationwide,” Dizon added./PN
