SEEING the need for immediate infrastructure to relieve road traffic congestion in the Cebu International Port, lawyer Tomas Riveral, chairman and chief executive officer of the Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp. (Opascor), decided to build a finger wharf.
Opascor bagged the Industry Catalyst of the Year Award conferred by the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) during the Chamber’s Night on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019.
“We are very elated to receive this award. Our effort and our risky move to put up a project as big as the finger wharf, we feel that we are being recognized and it will inspire us to do more to improve our services in the port of Cebu,” he told SunStar Cebu.
Opascor invested P1.2 billion for the project that will keep cargoes moving and support the fast growing economies of Cebu and Mandaue cities.
“The finger wharf will provide additional berthing slots to foreign vessels and at the same time will increase our yard capacity. We also have two roll on-roll off (roro) off ramps that will host two barges so we can now serve the Cebuano community better,” Riveral said.
With the presence of the finger wharf, more vessels would be able to load and unload cargoes faster and smoother.
“We can host more vessels and there will be no more yard congestion because of the additional space. Second, when the roro ramp is utilized, we can ease the road traffic congestion. Instead of trucks using the road, we will be doing the waterway distribution, so the trucks will just be loaded to the barge and then go to the other ports of destination,” he said.
“When it is fully operational (the roro ramp), then we can say we contributed to the easing of the road congestion,” he added.
The construction of the finger wharf started in September 2018 and it became operational a year after.
Riveral recalled there was a yard and berthing congestion in 2014, which reocurred in late 2015 and early 2016. These prompted them to make investments to address the problem.
“We believe that we should not wait for the government to put up the infrastructure. We invested to add more berthing areas. Instead of two vessels there will now be four vessels that will be able to dock simultaneously and at the same time, there will be more yard space for stockpiling of containers,” he said.
Also given recognition during the Chamber’s Night was Dynamic Castings, which bagged the Product of the Year Award for “having created products bearing the brand of Mandaue and has surpassed the years with innovation and a continuing spirit of entrepreneurship.”
Late Cenapro Corp. president and philanthropist Go Sing King was also hailed Mentor of the Year for dedicating his life in building a legacy of business excellence that transcends generations.
Special awardees were Matimco Inc. and Vicsal Foundation Inc. for their contribution in the construction of the Butuanon River viewing deck and Oscar Chua of Octoplus Electronics Supply for donating lamp posts in the Mandaue City Eco Park.