MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has released an initial P45 million for the modernization of the roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) port in Codon, San Andres, Catanduanes.
Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, who proposed the upgrading of the port, said the project would “open a highly convenient and shorter route to the Caramoan islands (in Camarines Sur).”
“It will reduce by more than half the present five-hour travel time endured by foreign and local tourists wishing to catch a glimpse of the Caramoan paradise, dubbed by the Department of Tourism as Bicol’s Boracay,” he said.
Once the port is completed, Sarmiento said those who want to go to Caramoan could take the hour-long flight to Virac, then travel by land to Codon, which takes 20 minutes, and then the 30-minute boat ride to the group of islets in Caramoan.
The travel time will be shortened by two-and-a-half hours, he added.
Last year, the Bicol region ranked second as the top tourist destination in the country with 2.5 million tourist arrivals. Camarines Sur accounted for 1.9 million of those arrivals.
Sarmiento said Catanduanes itself “has big tourism potentials, and this port development project will spur tourism activity in the province.”
“The influx of visitors to Caramoan will extend tourism activity in my province, which means more jobs, income and economic growth,” he said.
He said the P45 million is part of the P100 million required for upgrading the Codon port.
Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus endorsed the release of the money, he said.
He added that the President has approved an additional P2.5 million for the construction of a lighthouse in Bato town to provide navigational aid to all kinds of vessels plying the Virac-Bato bay area.