Works on int’l cruise ship terminal to go full swing

By Cet Dematera

The full-swing construction of the first international cruise ship terminal (ICST) in Luzon located in Legazpi City is being anticipated after a formal ground breaking ceremony inside the terminal site was held on Tuesday, June 15, with no less than Public Works Secretary Mark Villar leading the event.

The ground breaking ceremony signalled the start of construction of the terminal buildings and other facilities worth some P920 million.

The first phase of the terminal works includes the still on-going construction of the rock causeway and reclamation of the portion of the Legazpi City Boulevard and the Albay Gulf.

Aside from Villar, also present during the ceremony were local officials, including Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, Albay Second District Rep. Joey Salceda, and AKB Partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr.

DPWH-Bicol Director Virgilio Eduarte said the ICST is a world-class travel facility that is being considered as a mega tourism project that will contribute to the enhancement of tourism industry in Central Philippines.

He explained the project will spur economic activities not only in Albay but in the entire Bicol region as it will contribute to the national goal in poverty alleviation by providing opportunities that would attract more investment and generate employment opportunities.

“The 284.69 meter rock causeway and the 10,200 square meter reclamation works of the project are already 65 percent complete located between the panoramic Albay Gulf and the majestic Mt. Mayon” , Eduarte said.

He said the other civil works of the project include the construction of RC pier including four units of mooring dolphins, two units breasting dolphins, 1,458 sq.m access trestle, one lot port lighting system and one lot navigation system.

Eduarte said the national government released already an initial budget of P150 million out of the P920 million total project cost.

Rosal, in a separate interview, said the ICST project is another welcome addition to the infrastructure development that will uplift the tourism industry in Legazpi City by boosting tourist arrivals from different countries in the world.

“The project includes the construction of seaport that can accommodate a 300-meter long tourism cruise ship which is the standard size of international cruise ships”, Rosal added.

He said that once the project is operational, Legazpi will be the second city after Tagbiliran City in Bohol to have an international passenger cruise ship terminal.

The ICST is expected to attract more tourists because of its strategic location with the perfect view of the cone-shaped Mayon Volcano as backdraft.