[ Manila Bulletin Online ] May 9, 2008
ROXAS CITY – Three more ports in Western Visayas are up for development, upgrading or rehabilitation this year under President Arroyo’s Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) major legacy project.
These include the ports of Caticlan in Aklan, and Dumangas and Ajuy in Iloilo, Transportation Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista revealed.
Bautista disclosed that said ports are among the identified 15 Roll-On-Roll-Off (RO-RO) port projects for expansion this year until 2010 based on the Department of Transportation and Communication's workplan.
Other identified ports include San Antonio in Sorsogon, Esperanza in Masbate, Daanbantayan in Cebu, Naval in Biliran, Toledo in Cebu, Getate in Bohol, Tabuelan in Cebu, Bogo in Cebu, Balud in Masbate, Taytay in Palawan, Ubay in Bohol and Eagano in Cebu.
Bautista stressed that the expansion of the SRNH would focus on the east-west lateral connections so as to realize the President’s vision of a seamless transport system.
This would entail networks of roads, bridges and ports that would link the Eastern Nautical Highway to the Western Nautical Highway, she said.
Bautista said that there is also a need to declare as national roads all roads that form part of the SNRH network.
Earlier, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio Bunye pointed out that the RO-RO system has not only reduced the cost of moving goods but also increased regional trade, enhanced tourism and agricultural productivity, growth in investments and development of the countryside as well as poverty reduction.
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