By Genivi Factao

To fund various port development projects, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is once again asking the government to lower the agency’s share to the national coffers.

PPA general manager Oscar Sevilla said the agency will remit 50 percent of its income last year to the Bureau of Treasury, in accordance with the law.

For 2007, PPA generated income of P2.3 billion last year, 14 percent lower than the previous year‘s P2.67 billion. This would mean that the PPA would have to give back to the government P1.15 billion

He said that the PPA has agreed to the reduction of wharfage fee last year in the hope that its income share will also be reduced.

Last year, Sevilla asked President Arroyo to lower the share that they give to the national coffers for the next two years to be able to undertake port developments. But the request was not granted.

He wanted for the PPA to only remit around P800 million to P1 billion and not 50 percent of its net income.

He stressed that the projects to link the islands would be a great relief for shippers as it would reduce logistics cost.

PPA said out of the 35 port identified in the SONA port development program, 15 of which were completed in 2007.

The 17 other projects are on-going, 2 are in preliminary or detailed engineering stage and the other one was the postponed

"The construction of the PTB at Pantao Port was deferred due to the rationalization of construction of passenger terminals in compliance with Presidential directives issued in early 2007 and the extensive repair works that are being undertaken on the area which was badly damaged by typhoon," PPA said.

Sevilla emphasized that the development of these ports is in response to the President’s call for the government to pool its resources and give flesh to her administration’s centerpiece program of accelerating economic development. "Development of the SONA ports promises to open even more doors for the expansion of seaborne trade and stimulation of growth in the countryside," Sevilla added.

The completed SONA ports project were Dingalan Port development; construction of passenger terminal building and the port improvement project at Lucena Port in Quezon Province; Cawit port improvement project in Boac, Marinduque; construction/provision of passenger terminal building. at Real Port in Quezon. Batangas port development project, phase II except for package-I which is 93-94percent completed; Jagna port improvement project in Jagna, Bohol; Maasin port improvement project in Maasin, Leyte; Siquijor port project in Siquijor; Ubay port project in Bohol; reclamation of back-up area at Balabagon Port in Camiguin; upgrading of Cagayan de Oro Port; and, rehabilitation of Quay at Sasa Port in Davao City.