[ Manila Bulletin Online ] February 15, 2009
Mike U. Crismundo
DAVAO CITY – President Arroyo spearheaded the inauguration of the R420-million Davao Port Expansion Project at the Sasa Wharf in this frontier city in Southern Mindanao.
Earlier, the President also visited the R3.5 -million composting plant in Barangay Binuligan in Kidapawan City.
The expansion of Sasa Wharf has been identified by the President as one of her priority projects in Southern Mindanao.
The Chief Executive was also joined by top Cabinet officials including Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change Secretary Heherzon Alvarez and local government leaders in Davao Region.
The port expansion project has two components – Phase I which involves the rehabilitation of an existing 42.35-meter by 18-meter quay, and Phase II, or the port expansion phase, includes the construction of a 3,179-square-meter reinforced concrete wharf, the 13,180-square-meter back-up area, mooring and fendering area, drainage system, port lighting and rockworks.
Port officials said the expansion aims to decongest the growing Sasa Wharf, which posted a growth of 3.8 percent in 2007.
It is one of the premiere export and import hubs in Southern Philippines and ranks fourth nationwide, next only to the larger ports in Manila in terms of container cargo traffic and volume performance, it was gathered.
The expansion of Sasa Wharf also supports the growing banana and fresh fruit plantations in the Southern Mindanao region and nearby areas.
Because of its agricultural products, particularly banana and pineapple products, Davao Region has gained a spot in the world map as the leading conduit of high-value agricultural exports, mostly for the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East and the Unites States markets, it was also learned.
Meanwhile, Abdussabor Sawadjaan, port district manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in Southern Mindanao, said the port expansion is in line with the PPA’s vision to undertake continuing development geared towards the accommodation of larger export vessels, quay expansions, world-class management of container operations in the north side and passenger services in the south end.
It was learned that the Sasa Wharf is about 10 kilometers away from the heart of this city.
_______________________________________________________________________
