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ILOILO City – Over 100 motor boats plying the Iloilo City – Guimaras route and vice-versa continue to use the old wharves (Parola and Ortiz) despite the opening of the new Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal (GIFT) more than two months ago.
Some ferry boats bound for the Buenavista port in Guimaras found GIFT’s docking area shallow. Their operators said it needs immediate dredging and reinforcement piles.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that Guimaras boat passengers still prefer to use the old Parola landing site near the GIFT, and the Ortiz wharf despite GIFT’s offer not to impose a terminal fee.
PCG-Iloilo commander Lieutenant Ramil Palabrica agreed that GIFT needs reinforcement of piles.
Under its present condition, it is not safe for vessels and passengers to use, he stressed.
Palabrica said PCG already recommended to the Philippine Ports Authority the immediate dredging of the area and the driving of reinforcement piles along the banks serving as docking area.
PPA port manager Rosenda Sumagaysay, on the other hand, said the reinforcement of piles may entail a budget of several millions of pesos.
PPA or the Department of Transportation may include the budget for this in the 2017 proposed budget, said Sumagaysay.
Just this August, a principal shareholder of GIFT’s developer DoubleDragon Properties Corp. “adopted” the terminal and decided to subsidize the cost of operating it.
The subsidy will last for 10 years, announced DoubleDragon president and chief executive officer Ferdinand Sia.
The principal shareholder is the Injap Group of the Sia family.
On July 27, DoubleDragon opened the GIFT for a “dry run.” It did not charge a terminal fee but no passengers used it.
Local government officials in Guimaras have been opposed to the GIFT, especially since their locals will be charged with what they described a hefty P11 terminal fee.
They were also against the closure of the Parola and Ortiz wharves, a consequence of the operation of the GIFT. They believe Guimarasnons should be given options./PN
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