THE Cebu Port Authority (CPA) needs an estimated P623 million to repair and rehabilitate seven ports in northern Cebu that sustained damage from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on September 30, 2025.
The ports suffered varying degrees of structural damage, according to CPA.
CPA Public Information Officer Maryknoll Lague Bolasa said the agency sought technical assistance from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 and is waiting confirmation on possible ground instability or liquefaction risks before it finalizes rehabilitation designs.
The CPA prioritized three of its operated ports for geological site scoping, which MGB 7 will begin next week:
• Hagnaya in San Remigio
• Polambato in Bogo City
• Kawit in Medellin
Preliminary structural inspections by CPA engineers are complete.
The CPA, however, requires MGB-7’s confirmation, as the agency lacks expertise in potential geohazards.
“Facilities that are still operating were found structurally sound by CPA engineers. But since we’re not experts in potential geohazards and there are still aftershocks, we requested MGB-7’s assistance,” Bolasa said.
CPA’s inspection showed only two ports—Maya in Daanbantayan and Carmen—remain fully operational. The rest are either partially open or temporarily closed for safety reasons.
Drone shots provided by the CPA illustrated the visible damage:
• Polambato Port: About two-thirds of the port's section is non-operational due to damage. Only a limited area is open for conditional use.
• Kawit Port: The overall integrity remains stable, but damaged concrete pavement requires urgent repair to restore full operational safety and load-bearing capacity. Concrete slab and berthing areas need reinforcement.
• Hagnaya Port: Roughly 40 to 50 percent of the operational area is restricted. Key berthing and terminal support zones are closed or usable only during certain tidal conditions, which hampers normal operations. Only the rightmost ramp is safe for RoRo loading and unloading.
• Tabogon Port: The entire berthing structure is closed due to severe deterioration.
The estimated costs for each damaged port remain preliminary, according to the CPA, pending the MGB 7 geological assessment results.
The CPA is exploring options like temporary reinforcements or modular platforms to maintain port functions until full rehabilitation begins.
Should MGB 7 declare any port site geologically unsafe, the agency will explore redesign or relocation options. (EHP)