The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will invest P2.68 billion next year to construct three new ports and improve 82 others.
The Port District Office of Visayas will corner the bulk of the budget with the construction of three ports costing P243 million and improvement of eight others worth P875.34 million.
Getting the second biggest chunk of the budget worth P535.15 million for the improvement of 21 ports is the Port District of Southern Luzon; and the third biggest budget worth P518.31 million for the improvement and modernization of 24 ports, the Port District Office of Northern Mindanao.
The Port District of Manila/Northern Luzon, under whose jurisdiction falls Manila ports South Harbor, Manila International Container Terminal and North Harbor, has a budget of P275.55 million for the improvement of eight ports.
The smallest budget of P229.57 million has been allocated for the Port District of Southern Mindanao for the improvement of six ports.
For the last two months of the year, PPA will implement P1.409 billion worth of port projects, with the Port District of Visayas once again getting the biggest chunk or P679.72 million for the improvement of 11 ports.
The Port District of Southern Luzon will receive P330.30 million for the improvement of eight ports; Southern Mindanao, P261 million for terminal modernization; and Northern Mindanao, P138.04 million for the improvement of four ports.
PPA is also supervising P1.079 billion worth of projects, including the improvement of seven ports in Southern Luzon worth P624.22 million; construction of a new port worth P90.07 million and improvement of two existing ones worth P77.11 million under Manila/Northern Luzon; improvement of four ports worth P134.89 million, Port District of Visayas; improvement of three ports worth P64.92 million, Northern Mindanao; and improvement of two ports worth P88.24 million, Southern Mindanao.
Meanwhile, PPA-completed projects have reached P1.304 billion, of which P554.93 million was accounted for by Visayas (improvement of seven ports); P328.02 million by
Northern Mindanao (improvement of eight ports); P182.57 million by Southern Luzon (improvement of eight terminals); P160.18 million by Southern Mindanao (construction of a new port and improvement of four existing ones); and P79.11 million by Manila/Northern Luzon (improvement of five ports).
PPA is also implementing non-infrastructure-related programs, including the operation and maintenance of the vessel traffic management system and compliance with the International Ships and Port Security for the improvement of efficiency and safety of ports.
