More consultations slated for Sasa Port project

DAVAO CITY – The Department of Transportation will hold a consultation meeting here on the controversial P18.9 billion Sasa Port Modernization project this month, with the private sector hopeful that the new administration would listen to take their recommendations.

This was disclosed by Transportation Undersecretary Rommel C. Gavieta who said that the agency will study the project and “correct” what needs to be changed in the existing proposal to make it more fitting to the needs of the local business community.

“The government has always the right to review the process. It doesn’t have to be that way (starting from scratch) , we will study, whether it will be retained in its original design or scaled down, we still need to establish it. We need input from the consultation process,” he said.

He said that Transportation Undersecretary for maritime affairs, Philip Judan, will head the consultation meeting in Davao City to solicit some suggestions from the City Government and members of the business community here. The schedule of the meeting has yet to be finalized.

This was welcomed by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCII) which underscored the need for a cruise vessel terminal in Sasa Port.

“The government must resolve the issue of the need for a cruise vessel port which we lack. Secretary (Arthur) Tugade is expected to listen to the private sector,” said DCCII Executive Vice President Sofronio Jucutan..

DCCCII president Bonifacio Tan said he believed that the Transportation Department would be open to any suggestions from the business group on how it could go about with the plan of modernizing and expanding the Sasa Port.

"The reason why we are here is that we want to consult the stakeholders. What we understood when we first met with the representatives of Davao City Chamber, in the development of the current plan, was that it was done without consultation,” Gavieta pointed out.

As such, he underscored that the Transportation Department will “talk to people and find out what Davao stakeholders are concerned about.”

"We will develop it, but in what form, in what configuration will be something that will be a result of this consultation process that we will be doing," he said.