BACOLOD CITY – The port in the municipality of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, reopened yesterday under the management of Negros Coastal Terminals, Incorporated (NCTI), a Negros-based private coastal terminal corporation.
The blessing and inauguration was held recently after a thanksgiving mass, which signified the official first day of operations by a private corporation’s management under a 15-year concession agreement with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
The event was attended by Pulupandan Mayor Miguel Antonio Peña, Vice Mayor Anthony Gerard A. Suatengco, Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, local councilors of the town, and prominent individuals and businessmen across the province.
“A port is a catalyst of growth; no other trade and business are coming in without a port. Pulupandan is a blessed community, supporting the development of the port,” said PPA Port Manager for Negros Occidental Rodel Lagmay during his opening speech.
The PPA, through its initiative to implementing the Port Terminal Management Regulatory Framework (PTMRF) aims to promote a separation of its regulatory and operational function by privatizing some of the government-owned ports to provide higher quality services, ensure efficient port management, promote consistency in the determination of contract requirements, and to reduce compliance, transport, and
transaction costs for agricultural and other related products essential for trade and transport environment.
Peña assured the new port management that the local government unit of Pulupandan will continue to extend its support to the management, as the port will likewise serve as a center of business and trade that will impact the economic growth of Pulupandan.
With the new management, Pulupandan port is now geared for operations. For the meantime, the port will cater to passenger vessels only, while they are still rebuilding the overall operations and workforce of the port.
Under the 15-year concession agreement, NCTI will take over the management of Pulupandan Port, which includes operation, control, and supervision of its personnel and operations.
NCTI now handles the management and operations of two ports in the province, the Banago Port in Bacolod City and the Pulupandan Port. The Pulupandan port became the first port in the province to be managed by a private contractor, according to Philippine News Agency.
Meanwhile, Ferrer said the operation of the port will bring economic progress and give additional revenues to Pulupandan. It will also provide job opportunities to its constituents and boost the economic growth of the LGU.
Negros Coastal Terminals Inc. general manager Gemelyn Reynoso, in her message, said “A port is a gateway where stakeholders converge to drive economic growth and innovation through intermodal transportation.”
On behalf of the Negros Coastal Terminals, Inc. (NCT), Reynoso announced that they are ready to operate the port.
Lagmay said their facilities are ready to cater to all kinds of sea vessels – foreign, domestic, and RO-RO vessels. Since they will be opening the port to the public, the challenge is to earn the trust and confidence of the shippers, the consignees, as well as the stakeholders to use the Pulupandan port. However, they already have fastcraft operating between Pulupandan and Guimaras.
Pulupandan Port Terminal manager Richie Villasana said the port has been operating for the past few years but they are expecting its operation to go full blown after the inauguration.
They are also expecting more cargo to come in once the Panay-Guimaras- Negros Island Bridges is constructed. They have been receiving feelers that a shipment of windmills will be sent to Pulupandan, to be installed in Bago and Leyte. It is a national endeavor spearheaded by the Department of Energy, he said. (CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO / RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR. via tvds)