MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is going all out on its program to promote the country as a cruise destination, investing P839 million to build dedicated infrastructure in the regions.
The PPA is bidding out two projects, worth as much as P838.98 million, to build a cruise port in Buruanga, Aklan and construct the welcome center for the Port of Jubang.
The PPA is looking for a contractor to put up the cruise terminal in the Port of Alegria in Aklan, as the agency hopes to build up the tourism reputation of the island.
The PPA is spending P747.59 million for the construction of the cruise terminal, and the contractor will be given 900 days to finish the project. The agency will hold a pre-bid conference on May 13 and close the submission and open proposals on May 28.
Based on the project feature, the contractor will build the rock causeway and the port facility of the cruise facility. It will also construct the reinforced concrete platform and pier.
Apart from this, the PPA is allocating P91.4 million for the establishment of the welcome center for the Port of Jubang in Dapa, Surigao del Norte.
For this project, the PPA will conduct the pre-bid conference on May 13 and open the offers on May 29.
The winning bidder for the project will be granted 450 days to put up the welcome center for the Port of Jubang, an infrastructure banked on to increase tourist arrivals in nearby Siargao.
The PPA is speeding up its infrastructure buildup for cruise vessels as the Philippines is expected to welcome more than 300,000 travelers from cruise ships this year, more than triple from 87,217 in 2023.
The earliest project that the PPA expects to finish is the cruise terminal in the Port of Jubang. The PPA targets to open the facility in the third quarter, and its completion is projected to improve the travel demand in surfing haven Siargao.
Afterward, the PPA plans to finish the cruise port in Coron to welcome foreign tourists visiting Palawan.
The Philippines was named by the World Cruise Awards as the Best Cruise Destination in Asia in 2023, and the PPA wants to maximize this by setting up dedicated terminals.