CPA getting ready for CIP dredging

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Port Authority is now conducting a steel sheet piling at the port in preparation for the dredging of the Cebu International Port as well as the domestic ports from pier 1 to 3.

CPA Commissioner Carlos Co said that the CPA got a loan of P500 million for this dredging project that will extend up to the seawaters off South Road Properties.

Co said with the sheet piling going-on, they expect that the dredging will commence within the year.

If the dredging project pushes through, the domestic ports and CIP will have a 12-meter draft (depth) from its present 8.5 meters due to soil siltation.

“Kung mulawom na ang atong ports, daghan na mga dagkung barko gikan sa gawas nga makadunggo sa atong ports, (If our ports are dredged, more huge ships from abroad will dock on our ports.)” Co said.

CPA, on the other hand, is still waiting for possible investors to construct the P25 billion-worth new Cebu International Port which will be located between the towns of Consolacion and Liloan.

Co said that the phase I of the project would cost around P10 billion and another P15 billion for the second phase.

Co said there is really a need to construct a new international port as the current port is already too crowded.

If the plan pushes through, CIP will be converted into a domestic port.

It can be recalled that representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Department of Transportation and Communications met in Cebu, in September last year, to revisit the study of the proposed international container port in the Liloan-Consolacion area which was shelved in 2002.

The study was conducted by JICA in 2000 to construct an offshore container port after the container traffic congestion was already felt at current CIP.

But the study on the proposed new container terminal was reportedly shelved by CPA in 2002. (FREEMAN)