Lack of facilities - yards, berths - slow Mindanao's shipping development
THE limited capacity of seaports in Mindanao, including adequate berths, transit or cargo shed areas for non-containerised shipments and container yards, is holding back the Philippines' southern island in becoming a major hub, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra.
"Mindanao is still faced by current issues on sea transport such as limited capacity of its seaports," said Mr Esguerra during the Mindanao Shipping Conference 2016, reported Manila's Business World.
Mr Esguerra also said there is a need to expand existing sea linkages and establish new ones, particularly the routes between Zamboanga and Sandakan, Malaysia; Davao/General Santos and Bitung, Manado, Indonesia; Zamboanga and Muara, Brunei; and Tawi-Tawi and Tarakan, Indonesia.
The limited capacity of Mindanao's ports was also cited by European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen during his visit to the city early this year as a deterrent to the influx of EU investments in the country's southern area.
Mr Jessen said the EU is looking at Davao City as a possible investment area after the completion of the free trade agreement between the EU and the Philippines.
Edwin Banquerigo, Department of Trade and Industry director for Davao City, said there are plans to develop the Davao Region as a transshipment hub given its strategic location within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area, but the infrastructure will first have to be put in place.
He noted that most of the ships docking at Sasa Port, a government-owned facility, are feeder vessels with an average capacity of 300-500 TEU.
In a separate development, in Cebu, the location for the Visayas Shipping Conference, Cebu Port Authority general manager Edmund Tan said the new Cebu international container port may start construction by August this year if it gets the go ahead soon from the NEDA Board.
THE limited capacity of seaports in Mindanao, including adequate berths, transit or cargo shed areas for non-containerised shipments and container yards, is holding back the Philippines' southern island in becoming a major hub, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra.
"Mindanao is still faced by current issues on sea transport such as limited capacity of its seaports," said Mr Esguerra during the Mindanao Shipping Conference 2016, reported Manila's Business World.
Mr Esguerra also said there is a need to expand existing sea linkages and establish new ones, particularly the routes between Zamboanga and Sandakan, Malaysia; Davao/General Santos and Bitung, Manado, Indonesia; Zamboanga and Muara, Brunei; and Tawi-Tawi and Tarakan, Indonesia.
The limited capacity of Mindanao's ports was also cited by European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen during his visit to the city early this year as a deterrent to the influx of EU investments in the country's southern area.
Mr Jessen said the EU is looking at Davao City as a possible investment area after the completion of the free trade agreement between the EU and the Philippines.
Edwin Banquerigo, Department of Trade and Industry director for Davao City, said there are plans to develop the Davao Region as a transshipment hub given its strategic location within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area, but the infrastructure will first have to be put in place.
He noted that most of the ships docking at Sasa Port, a government-owned facility, are feeder vessels with an average capacity of 300-500 TEU.
In a separate development, in Cebu, the location for the Visayas Shipping Conference, Cebu Port Authority general manager Edmund Tan said the new Cebu international container port may start construction by August this year if it gets the go ahead soon from the NEDA Board.