MANILA: Philippine the bidding parameters of a public-private partnership project (PPP) that would modernize Mindanao’s busiest international seaport are expected to be out Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is the main implementing agency of the P18.99-billion ($421.44 million*) infrastructure project.
The port, also known as the Sasa wharf, is being groomed to improve trade access with other harbors. The invitation to bid for the modernization of the Davao Sasa Port is scheduled to be published on Friday, Abaya said.
Situated in Davao City, the port is an important hub in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines EAST ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Abaya said some minor details are being threshed out to ensure his department meets its deadline.
“We have to meet again because Friday is our deadline to publish the invitation. That’s what the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee) told us. We have to finalize minor details,” Abaya told reporters.
At stake is the construction of a new apron, linear quay, expansion of the back-up area, container yards, warehouses, and the installation of new equipment such as ship-to-shore cranes and rubber-tired gantry.