NEW FISH PORT. The municipality of Concepcion in Iloilo province on Wednesday (March 16, 2022) holds a groundbreaking ceremony for its new fish port that will be funded through a grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency. The PHP150 million project was in response to the severe damage of super typhoon Yolanda to the port facility. (Photo courtesy of Balita Halin sa Kapitolyo FB page)
ILOILO CITY – The municipality of Concepcion in Iloilo province on Wednesday held a groundbreaking ceremony for a PHP150-million fish port project which when completed will benefit its fishing communities and neighboring towns.
“With the new facility, trading and economic activity of the fish port will be enhanced. Our income in fishery is a significant percentage of our total local income. We hope to attract more fishing vessels that will be utilizing and patronizing this facility because with the extended causeway even during low tide big vessels can already dock,” said Mayor Raul Banias in an interview on Thursday.
It will be a more convenient and comfortable place for trading, he said.
According to Banias, the fish port officially named Northern Iloilo Fishery Rehabilitation and Development Project is a grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in response to the severe damage of Super Typhoon Yolanda to their port facility.
The mayor added that KOICA vice president Doo Jungsoo arrived in Iloilo from Seoul, South Korea two weeks after the typhoon in 2013, and together with then-governor Arthur Defensor Sr., visited northern Iloilo, particularly Carles, Estancia, and Concepcion towns.
“The vice president committed to provide assistance to the port facilities of these three towns, however, only Concepcion was approved,” Banias said.
The fund was transferred to the provincial government in 2021 and the groundbreaking was only held on Wednesday after travel restrictions were already eased.
The fund was utilized for Phase 1 of the project to include the reclamation of about 6,500 square meter area just beside the old fish port facility, construction of rockwall revetment, new fish market, new administration building, and the 75-meter causeway.
The project is expected to be completed in 33 months but as of Wednesday, the contractor has already accomplished 25 percent of the project, ahead of the five percent target completion as per their timeline.
He added that they can already use the facility once the first phase is completed because it already has a market gall that is important in the fish port.
Meanwhile, phase two of the project needs a PHP100 million to be funded by the provincial government.
“Phase two will be extending the causeway and other facilities like the comfort room, the road network, the ice storage, and also we will rehabilitate the old fish port to be converted into a transport terminal,” he said.
The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by former governor Arthur Defensor Sr., incumbent Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., KOICA country director Kim Eunsub, assistant country director Lee Takgun, program manager Francis Afable and other local officials. (PNA)
