THE Philippine Ports Authority said Thursday it will push for the modernization of at least five ports in the country, which are considered as international gateways.
Under the Port Infrastructure Development Plan, PPA identified the five priority ports for modernization as the Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iloilo Container Port Complex, and Zamboanga ports.
“We are developing these ports as these handle majority of our import and export product not only within Asean but also worldwide,” said PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago.
He said the PPA's Infrastructure Development Plans will be the focus of the Philippine presentation when it hosts the 42nd Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Ports Association on November 15-16.
“The APA Meeting, which we will be hosting, is a great avenue for the Philippines to assure our Asean neighbors and the world that we are doing beyond what is needed for us to properly respond to the demands of the global supply chain market,” Santiago said.
The 9-member countries of APA include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are each required to present a paper that will serve as the springboard for future development and cooperation among member countries.
APA, formed in 1974, is an alliance of port authorities in the Asean to serve as the proper forum for the achievement of the following broad objectives: exchange of information, harmonization of trade practices, and promotion/facilitation of trade among Asean ports. (SDR/Sunnex)