A lady lawmaker has lauded Department of Transportation and the Philippine Ports Authority for heeding the call to upgrade the Port of Abra de Ilog back to its previous status as a premier port.
Occidental Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato said Occidental Mindoro needed the much-needed boost from the DOTr and the PPA through increased budget allocation to improve the province’s existing ports, such as the Port of Abra de Ilog.
“We do not want to be left behind by our neighboring provinces. We demand to be part of the inclusive growth our economic managers have been talking about,” Sato, a former governor of Occidental Mindoro, said.
The Port of Abra de Ilog is the gateway to Occidental Mindoro, Sato said. Upgrading the port back to its previous status as Terminal Management Office means it will be included in the DOTr and PPA’s radar for various development programs and projects, she added.
Sato earlier appealed for better port facilities and services by reinstating the Port of Abra de Ilog’s previous status as Terminal Management Office.
She noted that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Occidental Mindoro recently passed a resolution requesting the PPA to reverse an earlier move to degrade the Port of Abra de Ilog from TMO to a mere sub-port.
She said a PPA committee also proposed to revert the Port of Abra de Ilog to a TMO, citing various reasons, including support to tourism development, trade and commerce, and improved management of the port’s day-to-day operations.
PPA general manager Daniel Santiago had said the process is underway for the designation of the port as a TMO, according to Sato.
Sato said she is hopeful that the port will be fully restored as a TMO within the first quarter of the year.
“The designation of the Port of Abra de Ilog to a premier port means more personnel will be hired and facilities will be repaired and rehabilitated,” Sato said.
Sato said she expects more RORO trips via Abra de Ilog port as a regular budget and funding for the port operations are allocated and ensured.
“The upgrading of the the Port of Abra de Ilog will pave the way to put it back in the PPA’s priority development agenda and that is we need for the facilities and services to improve to cater to a bigger number of people,” Sato said.
Located in the Northeastern part of Occidental Mindoro, the Port of Abra de Ilog has a RoRo or Roll-in-Roll-off facility that is being used by commercial vessels in transporting passengers and cargoes all the way from San Jose, Abra de Ilog and other towns to Batangas City via Batrangas port and vice versa.