CPA, Capitol to co-manage operations of Maya Port

Maya Port to serve routes to Placer, Masbate and Southern Luzon soon

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia presides over a meeting with CPA and Daanbantayan town officials on Thursday, May 21, 2020, to discuss the operation of the Maya Port. | Photo courtesy of the Cebu provincial government.

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) will partner with the Cebu provincial government in the operation of the Maya Port in Daanbantayan town while the municipal government will manage its passenger terminal, arrastre, and stevedoring services.

The agreement was reached during a meeting at the Capitol on Thursday, May 21, 2020, said an advisory that was posted on the Cebu provincial government’s Sugbu News.

In the advisory, CPA General Manager Leonilo Miole asked Shimura “to submit a management proposal on the passenger terminal and arrastre and stevedoring services.”

Miole has also agreed to work with Engineer Hector Jamora, head of the Provincial Engineering Office, to conduct an ocular inspection at the Maya Port.

The operation of the Maya Port is expected to enhance inter-provincial travel in Daanbantayan town, a first-class municipality located in Cebu’s northern tip, and boost economic opportunities and job generation for the Kandayanons.

The newly constructed port that now caters to wooden pump boats that are bound for Malapascua Island is seen to have great potentials of also serving routes to Placer, Masbate and ports that are located in the southern parts of Luzon like Batangas.

Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura shared during a meeting with fourth district mayors on May 20 that he received a letter from CPA informing him of the start of the Maya port’s inter-provincial operation.

“We wish to inform your good office that the Cebu Port Authority will formally start operating the newly constructed Port of Maya. Initially, the authority has issued berthing permit to a certain corporation valid for one week from its first call at the said port facility, henceforth the said company shall file the application by berthing and clearance at CPA Hagnaya office,” said the letter that was signed by Elizabeth Suarez, divisions manager of the Port Management Office in Santa Fe town.

Shimura then expressed his disappointment over the Authority’s plan to proceed with the port’s operations without prior coordination with Rep. Janice Salimbangon of the 4th district of Cebu and the Provincial Government.

“Ubay-ubay na ra ba ni’g gikumbati ning among Maya port hasta ning among road right-of-way, nya modiretso ra sila’g operate nga wala sila’y ipahibawo sa congressman ug sa governor. Og ila ning buhaton amo na lang pud nang babagan ang municipal road nga among napalit og dili na man lang gani ta mag-rinespetoay,” the mayor said.

(We have been working on a lot of things for the Maya Port including the road right of way, thus they cannot just operate without informing the congressman and the governor.  If they insist on doing what they want, the municipal government will then be forced to also block the road [in the area] if they will not show us some respect.)

Wanting to resolve the issue, Shimura met with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Miole, Suarez, and Benhur Salimbangon, the Capitol’s consultant on development in the fourth district of Cebu on Thursday.

It was agreed during their meeting that the Capitol will partner with CPA in port operations while Daanbantayan town will manage the passenger terminal and arrastre and stevedoring services or the handling of cargoes.

During said meeting, Salimbangon that when he was still 4th district congressman, he allocated P63 million from his congressional funds for the establishment of a highway that will lead to the Maya Port and an additional P33 million for port improvements.

The provincial government during Garcia’s previous term also allocated P15 million for the project while CPA allocated a P72 million counterpart.