The Port Management Office for Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro has beefed up its operational capability with the impending completion and continued improvement of four key projects under its 7 Pillars of Development infrastructure program.
Opol Port Development Project
Developed in consultation with the Philippine Liners Shipping Association (PLSA), the long-term program is geared towards sustaining the Northern Mindanao’s growth over the following decades.
Metro Cagayan de Oro is envisioned to become the Philippines 4th Metropolitan Center by 2025 along with Manila, Cebu and Davao, based on the National Spatial Strategy proposed network of settlements under the 2017-2025 edition of the Philippine Development Plan,
As a Metropolitan Center, Cagayan de Oro would serve as a center of commercial, financial, and administrative activities and a primary international gateway.
Aerial view of the soon to be completed Cagayan de Oro Port Terminal Building.
“Ship calls at the Port of Cagayan de Oro rose 10 percent from the previous year in 2016, and further by 20 percent in 2017. GRT spiked to 22% before settling at 9 percent, waiting time increased to 159%, passenger traffic was up 5%, cargo volume by 13% for two straight years, and container traffic continued its double digit ascent with 15 and 20 percent growth,” said Ruby Ma. O. Gumapon, port services division manager.
“In the third quarter of 2018 alone, ship calls have risen 11.16% compared to the same period in 2017, cargo throughput by 50% over the same period, with passenger traffic attaining a slight 0.32% increase,” she added.
The four key projects include the passenger terminal building, construction of a 6-lane electronic multi-gate, extension of wharf and expansion back- up area, and the Opol port development project.
The P277-million Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) is now 85.489% complete with a slippage of 9.032% as contracted to Jejors Construction Corporation. When completed sometime next quarter, the PTB will be the most modern and biggest of its kind in the entire country. It will replace the old warehouse which has served as a temporary PTB for the past 10 years.
The 2-story Facility has a 1,500 seating capacity and is equipped with amenities such as a pre-departure waiting area, Child Care Station, shops (catering to passenger needs), ecumenical prayer rooms, souvenir shops, food outlets, comfort rooms (male, female and PWD), VIP lounge, a screening area (x-rays) for outbound passengers, boarding gates, escalators and moving sidewalks, among others.
6-Lane Electronic Multi Gate under construction.
To attain an efficient flow of vehicular traffic, the PMO has undertaken the construction of a 6-lane electronic multi-gate system through Gate 3 leading to Arcadia Valenzuela Avenue in Lapasan. The P32-million project is 68% complete as of November, 2018 by contractor Jejor’s Construction Corp.
The 6-Lane electronic gate complex aims to alleviate traffic congestion at Gate No. 2 brought about by the long queuing line of cargo trucks entering the port.
To decongest trucks hauling cargo for the port originating from Eastern Misamis Oriental, the PMO will construct a new portal at Gate 6 directly connected to the CDO Coastal Road via an access road through the DPWHs “Roads Leading to Ports Program.
The two lane access road just completed will originate from the 3-ha. reclamation area and Gate 6 will eventually be upgraded to an Electronic 6-gate with embedded EPS similar to Gate 5. Gate 5 will be closed for safety and security reasons and traffic will be redirected to gate 6.
This facility will be fully equipped with CCTV cameras, weigh bridges for cargoes, electronic gates, payment booths. The EPS will be embedded as part of system (RFID) and will be the first of its kind in the country
On top of segregating its berths for more efficient cargo handling, the quay which has never been extended during the previous six years until 2015, was extended by 45 meters. By the end of 2018 it was extended by 145 meters and recently completed an additional 85 meter P327-million extension by contractor UKC Builders.
“The Port of Cagayan de Oro is experiencing port congestion with berth utilization occupancy rate beyond the UNCTAD standard,” Port Manager Isidro V. Butaslac, Jr. noted. “The additional 85 lineal meters will help decongest the Port as it will provide more berthing spaces and an additional 130m x 110m back-up area has been completed for the three hectare area.”
“By early January 2019, another 150 meter extension will commence,” Butaslac disclosed. “Dredging of the quay to the international standard of -13 meters is also ongoing; ultimately, an extension of up to 700 meters will be realized by the 10th year,” he added.
Beyond the horizon
Beyond the confines of the immediate port area, PMO-MOC has also sought to alleviate road congestion in its entry/exit points by undertaking three key projects situated outside the city.
Aerial view of the Cagayan de Oro Port Wharf Expansion project.
The Opol port zone delineation and port development project will address congestion in the West coast highways by handling all incoming cargo from the Western Misamis Oriental and Iligan City.
“The development and construction of Opol Port will decongest Cagayan de Oro Port by handling tramping vessels at Luyong Bonbon, Opol, Misamis Oriental, thereby relieving the arterial roads to the port of the truck traffic and the port itself of these types of vessels,” said Engr. Samuel Claro P. Fontanilla, engineering services division manager.
“As part of the seven pillars program to transform the Port of Cagayan de Oro into a purely containerized port, the Port of Opol will initially serve as the alternate port for domestic tramping vessels to ease berth congestion at the Port of Cagayan de Oro to bring it up to UNCTAD standard,” he added.
The P264-million Opol port project is now 95.5627% complete as of November, 2018 by contractor Equi-parco Construction Co., and will start operating by the first quarter of 2019 to reduce standby time, shifting of vessels and optimize berth utilization at the CDO Port.
Further Down the Road
In addition, the PMO has undertaken Phase 1 of the port development of Balingoan Port with the construction of an alternative access road and security fence along the port zone delineation area, expansion of the existing passenger terminal building and additional ground slots for rolling cargo.
Also slotted for further development is the Phase 2 of the Benoni Port in Camiguin (Phase 2) provide additional back-up areas, additional berthing facilities and provide additional port facilities for passengers and port users in support of the growing tourism and economy of the area.
“While all these infrastructure projects are pending completion, the Port of Cagayan de Oro is continually innovating and seeking temporary alternative processes to address the impact on vessel traffic congestion by delineating berth spaces for priority vessels, infusion of additional modern port machineries and equipment, implemented the observance of load cut-off time, and installation of AIS technology for safety, security and advance planning on berth allocation,” Butaslac said.
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