First Barge Terminal in Philippines Set to Open Next Month

The Cavite Gateway Terminal in Tanza or the first barge terminal in the country is set to open next month, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

“We are an archipelago, so this is really a no-brainer. This should have been done a long time ago. Most of the time the roads going to the ports are congested so this will be the solution,” said Secretary Arthur Tugade.

The Cavite Gateway Terminal was designed to help decongest traffic in major roads. It was also privately funded by the International Container Terminal Services Inc. owned by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr.

Terminal will decongest massively

Both transshipment of cargo from international ports in Manila to Cavite via barges and roll-on, roll-off operations will be possible once the terminal opens on November 5. It will also be integrated with other major port facilities in Luzon, allowing cost-effective and time-bound access to the Cavite market.

The DOTr also added that based on their projections, the terminal would lead to approximately 140,000 fewer truck trips annually and reduce road traffic by almost two kilometers of trucks.

The Cavite Gateway Terminal is only 11 kilometers away from the Cavite Export Processing Zone Authority.

According to the DOTr, passenger ferry services from Cavite to Manila and vice versa is also in the works following discussions between the government and the operator.

The terminal was completed in about a year. Its construction started in October 2017.

Barge operations, on the other hand, already started in September as part of the dry-run before its full operation.

“This project is also proof that when the government and the private sector work together, beautiful things can happen,” said Tugade.

via Philippine Star / Richmond Mercurio