THE Cebu Port Authority (CPA) will soon open to traffic the road behind Malacañang sa Sugbo to decongest the area from Pier 1 to the viaduct leading to South Road Properties (SRP).
At the same time, CPA General Manager Angelo Verdan said they will first repair the berthing area behind Malacañang sa Sugbo before it will be assigned to shipping companies.
Earlier, Malacañang returned the century-old building of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) after the Malacañang sa Sugbo office was dissolved. It was declared Malacañang sa Sugbo by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2005.
Included in the occupation of the building by Malacañang are the port road which was regularly used by truckers and motorists, and the berthing area which was used by shipping lines.
However, the building, the road and the port were left idle. The closure of the road also caused traffic, especially at the nearby Pier 1 because trucks have to U-turn instead of proceeding to M.J. Cuenco Avenue as exit.
“We will open the port road to traffic once all the documents for its return to CPA will be completed,” Verdan said.
BOC Port of Cebu cash division chief Conrado Abarientos said they will request the Department of Finance (DOF) to divert the P450 million fund supposedly for a new customs building at Pier 2, to renovate the old building.
He said the lot at Pier 2 is owned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and if the construction will push through, there will be a memorandum of agreement to use the area for a certain period of time, then revert its ownership to DENR.
But if the fund will be used to renovate the old building, it will be wholly-owned by BOC, Abarientos said. (EOB)