INSTEAD of creating competition between two public ports, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) should develop and focus on other ports in Negros Occidental, said Representative Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod party-list.
This was pointed out by the party-list lawmaker as the PPA continues to push for the approval of the port zone delineation at Banago port in Bacolod to pursue its development.
If this pushes through, it will compete with the Bredco port at the Reclamation Area which operates under an agreement with the City of Bacolod.
Paduano said there are several ports in the province that need to be developed to spread out the development in the province.
He cited the ports in the cities of Victorias, Cadiz, Himamaylan, and the towns Hinigaran, Hinobaan, and Manapla.
These areas have existing ports but became white elephants while others remained undeveloped by the PPA, Paduano said.
Lawyer Simplicio Palanca, president of the Bredco, has called the attention of the City Council on the roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) operation at the Banago port without its imprimatur.
This action of the PPA-Pulupandan is a complete disregard and blatant violation of the existing laws by operating a ro-ro port without prior approval or clearances from government agencies concerned, Palanca said.
Palanca said that the ro-ro operation in the Banago port will directly compete with the operation of the Bacolod City Port which is being managed by Bredco.
"We already have an existing port here, why develop another port here when there are other ports outside the city that await PPA's focus for development," Paduano said.