More PPA funds coming, Rep. Mercado reveals

By BONG PEDALINO (PIA Southern Leyte)
February 12, 2007

MAASIN CITY, Leyte  –  Funds intended for development of existing and new shipping ports in various locations of Southern Leyte province are due to be released by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), according to Cong. Roger Mercado, the province’s lone district representative.

Among these are the P70 Million for the expansion of Liloan port, P13 Million for Limasawa island port, P12 Million for a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) port facility in Padre Burgos, and an all new RORO port in barangay Benit, San Ricardo with an appropriation of P200 Million, in which an initial release of P70 Million is forthcoming.

The four PPA-funded projects mentioned have a total outlay of P295 Million.

All these good tidings for improvement and construction of port facilities in different key points of the province were disclosed by Cong. Mercado during a news conference with members of the associated media of Southern Leyte (AMSL) in his district office at barangay Abgao, this city February 11.

These projects also constituted the "super-regions" investment priorities in this part of the country as outlined by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her State-of-the-Nation (SONA) address in late July last year.

Regarding the finished Maasin city port, on insinuations the new pier has become a white elephant since too few ships docked despite its modern facility, Cong. Mercado still strongly "believed that in the future the new port can be used" with the expected influx of investors, tourists, and other visitors to the city and the province.

Aside from that, the solon saw wisdom with its construction at the moment, saying that five or ten years from now, the construction costs would have been much higher compared with last year or this year, which in effect redound to a wise investment.

On suggestions the city’s port be declared an open or free port through legislation, Cong. Mercado said the initial step towards that direction was already done when he proposed a bill making the city an economic zone or an export processing zone.