Rehab underway to reopen Aparri port

TUGUEGARAO CITY—The Port of Aparri in Cagayan province, which has not been used for 10 years, will be reopened as soon as the preparatory work for dredging is completed, Gov. Manuel Mamba said. The port, which sits at the mouth of the country’s longest river system, is being dredged to allow big ships for commercial and industrial transshipment from neighboring countries to dock. In April 2018, Mamba approved a resolution on the reopening of the port, which is 88 kilometers north of this city. The provincial government has commissioned Pacific Offshore Dredging Corp. to dredge 80 million cubic meters from Cagayan River. There are no black sand mining activities in the town, Mamba said, adding that he would resign if it is proven otherwise. A first class town located in the northernmost tip of Luzon, Aparri (population: 65,649 in 2015) used to be a trading post of Japanese investors with first settlers Ibanags as partners. The port reopening is expected to spur economic activity in Cagayan Valley and allow trading with neighboring countries, including China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. —VILLAMOR VISAYA JR.