DOTr needs P12.5 billion to build 200 ports

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it needs at least P12.5 billion to build 200 more ports under the Marcos administration, underscoring the need to improve connectivity in remote islands.

Transportation Undersecretary Elmer Sarmiento yesterday said the DOTr will put up an additional 200 ports until 2028 to improve inter-island travel and trim logistics costs.

Sarmiento said these facilities will be situated in some of the farthest islands of the Philippines to promote tourism destinations and connect farms with markets.

He said each of these ports would require between P20 million to P80 million to build. The DOTr is hoping that the Department of Budget and Management will approve the capital needed in delivering these projects.

Sarmiento said the ports, although limited in capacity, would play a crucial role in stimulating local economies. For instance, the DOTr plans to construct a port in the Turtle Islands, a municipality west of Tawi-Tawi, and in Lawak Island, one of the islands in the Spratlys.

In particular, the ports will be used to accommodate people moving island to island and provide a docking facility for fishing boats.

Further, Sarmiento said the ports can also be maximized in times of emergency, as it is difficult to reach some areas frequented by typhoons because they lack transport infrastructure.

“What the DOTr will do are mostly small ports. We call them social, tourism and farm-to-market ports. These are located in remote areas, in isolated places. This is about connectivity. We would like to connect these remote islands to bigger islands for their economic growth,” Sarmiento said.

Based on records from the DOTr, the government has initiated a total of 402 projects for the port industry since 2015. To date, the DOTr has completed more than half of these, and wants to add more to the pipeline to raise the economic potential of regions.

“We have implemented a total of 402 port projects from 2015 to present, and around 250 of these ports have already been completed. We are also eyeing to finish an additional 200 more ports by 2028 to bridge the gap among Filipinos and hasten economic activities,” Sarmiento said.

Apart from what the DOTr is planning, the Philippine Ports Authority will spend P3.5 billion this year for the upgrade of ports across the archipelago.

The agency expects cargo and passenger volumes to go up by as much as 7.5 percent in 2024, as the world regains its pre-pandemic pace in terms of trade and travel.