• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A privately-owned commercial port will open on April this year, in Barangay Punta Salong, Manapla, Negros Occidental.
Managed by the Manapla Port Stevedoring Arrastre (NPSA) Estate, with investors mostly composed of businessmen from the 2nd district of Negros Occidental, it will be servicing new routes between Manapla to the towns of Ajuy and Concepcion in northern Iloilo.
The port will be operational on April 1, according to Dave Sarrosa, one of the investors.
The northern towns of Iloilo are known for their tourist destinations, including the Sicogon Island, Islas de Gigantes, and numerous islands of Concepcion, among others, because of their breathtaking coastline and pristine beaches.
Lite Ferry 25, which can carry 12 heavy trucks, aside from passengers, will start operating the new routes in Manapla, according to Jethro Nathaniel Lim Imboy, head of Lite Ferries manager for Commercial Operations, who was at the blessing of the new port, which was also attended by Mayor Manuel Escalante III and his daughter, Councilor Mikaela Socorro Escalante and other investors of the P180 million port.
We will deploy a bigger and faster vessel for the new route, as demand increases in the future, Imboy said.
The opening of a port, which was pushed by the late Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., who facilitated the concreting of a 2.9 kilometer diversion road, also donated by several sugar farmers in the area, will further boost the economy of Manapla, according to Mayor Escalante, who is widely expected to be replaced by his daughter, Mikaela Socorro, as she is running for the mayoral post of the town.
Mayor Escalante said the Victorias Milling Company, which is also getting to be the biggest local producer of alcohol, will be accepting sugarcanes from Panay Island using the port.
Sarrosa said they are targeting to provide jobs to many Negrenses, while Mayor Escalante disclosed that they are expecting an initial P4 million in taxes from the operations of the port.
The distance from the ports of Manapla to Ajuy is about 10.5 nautical miles, with a travel time of 45 minutes, and a 55 minute travel time from Manapla to Concepcion town in Iloilo, based on the data presented by MPSA during the blessing rites.
In her speech, Councilor Escalante disclosed that Manapla is now a first class municipality, starting this year.
With the birth of a port in Manapla, it will open new business opportunities for entrepreneurs, and closer ties with other local government units.
“This port is not only for private investors, but also to improve the livelihood of Manaplahanons,” she stressed.
A private port in Brgy. Manta-angan, E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental, also started operations more than a year ago, with a RoRo vessel servicing the route between Ajuy and E.B. Magalona and vice versa.*
