• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The port in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental has resumed full operations, with the Negros Coastal Terminals Inc. (NCTI) as the new operator.
NCTI won the 15-year management and operations contract for the port under the Port Terminal Management Regulatory Framework (PTMRF) of Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), PPA Division Manager Engr. Richie Villasana said.
Under this framework, investments in ports are to be categorized into six tiers, ranging from a fully private concession to a fully PPA-managed port, to make it easier to determine the investment arrangements of a port.
Under the new management, Villasana said bigger equipment will come in loading operation and cargo handling.
The current state of the port is sufficient enough to cater international vessels, he added.
Villasana further said the port will also accommodate fastcrafts and small vessels catering passengers.
The blessing, inauguration and reopening of the Pulupandan Port was witnessed by Mayor Miguel Antonio Peña, PPA manager for Negros Occidental Rodel Lagmay, NCTI general manager Gemelyn Reynoso, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, and Bacolod businessman Willy Au.
PPA said the 15-year concession contract covers the management and operation of cargo-handling, roll-on/roll-off, and other port-related services.
In her speech, Reynoso said that a port is a gateway where stakeholders converge to drive economic growth and innovation through intermodal transportation.
It enables the smooth transfer of cargo between ships, trucks, and warehouses, serving as a backbone for global supply chains and domestic distribution networks, she added.
Reynoso said that Pulupandan is very blessed to have such a port facility. | GB
