Business groups back ro-ro project

MANILA, Philippines - Business groups have expressed their support for the government’s plan to establish a nautical highway system through the implementation of the roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) project.

 In a joint resolution, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) represented by its chairman Miguel P. Varela and the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) represented by its president Edgardo G. Lacson, underscored the importance of a nautical highway in order to interconnect the different islands in the country.

 “The nautical highway will allow the development of the intra-island trade to promote the Philippines’ goods, services, talents and treasures to the rest of the world and contribute to helping our economy’s balance of trade by increasing exports, helping more overseas Filipino workers (OFW) find employment abroad; bring more foreign tourists to the Philippines and promote various investment opportunities,” the two page resolution stated.

PCCI and ECOP said the Nautical Highway will be anchored in the islands by putting up more ro-ro ports because there are advantages to using flexible, redeployable modular system of ro-ro ports similar to the one funded by the French, government.

The business groups also noted that ro-ro ports are ideal in the development of missionary routes because ro-ro ports have long life spans, long term financing matching the gestation period of the project and unique redeployable design.

Also, the resolution identified an advantage of a ro-ro port as something that will bring definite, tangible and direct socioeconomic change, improving local economies where it is set up.

ro-ro ports also reduce the cost of doing business by streamlining logistics operations and distribution expenses.

The resolution said “The ro-ro system is absolutely essential in transforming the goods produced by the agricultural sector which makes up almost 14 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and employs 33 percent - 40 percent of the worlforce.” This particular infrastructure is also expected to bring food prices down as the transportation of food becomes quicker and cheaper.