DOTr to expand seaports in Northern Samar

ALLEN GATEWAY | The Bhalwarteco Port in Allen, Northern Samar, shown in this Sept. 17, 2023, photo, is a key sea link between Samar and Luzon and is one of the three ports in the province that will undergo expansion by the Department of Transportation. (Photo from the DILG office in Northern Samar)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — The provincial government of Northern Samar and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) have announced a joint project to expand the seaports in the province to improve access and mobility between the mainland and its island towns.

Gov. Edwin Ongchuan and Transportation Undersecretary for Maritime Elmer Francisco Sarmiento signed an agreement on Jan. 4 to upgrade the ports in the municipalities of Allen, Mapanas and San Jose, which would cost the DOTr P76 million.

No schedule has yet been released for when the expansion work will begin, but it is expected to start anytime this year after funds are released by the DOTr.

Ongchuan said the port expansion projects would be a “big thing” to uplift the economic condition in Northern Samar since a large number of commercial vessels and barges are expected to get in and out of these three ports to bring materials to the construction sites.

Economic prospects

Sarmiento agreed that the proposed seaports would help spur economic activities, not only in these areas, but for the entire Northern Samar.

“We are connecting communities, such as Mapanas and other municipalities in Northern Samar to the bigger island economies for their economic growth. We are happy to work with the governor and mayors in Northern Samar, so that the benefits will be given to the province and respective local government units,” he said.

Mapanas Mayor Ronn Michael Tejano, who was among those who witnessed the signing of the agreement held at the central office of the DOTr, was optimistic about the expansion of the port in his coastal town.

“I am glad about the project, which will bring more development not only in our municipality but also to neighboring towns in the Pacific coast of the province,” he said.

Mapanas is a 13-barangay municipality with a population of 14,234 as of the 2020 census.

The town of San Jose (population: 17,641) has a deep seaport considered the main port of the province.

Allen, another coastal town, has a population of 25,228 (based on the 2020 census). It hosts a key port for interisland transport, mainly linking Samar Island to Luzon.

Expand airports, too

Ongchuan also reiterated his appeal to the DOTr for the construction of a domestic airport in Pambujan town and the rehabilitation and improvement of the Batag Lighthouse on Batag Island, Laoang town.

The construction of the Pambujan Domestic Airport, which would be called Northern Samar Airport, was proposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) as a relocation site for the proposed expanded provincial airport now located in the provincial capital, the town of Catarman.

In February 2023, Caap-Eastern Visayas manager Danilo Abareta said they were looking for a relocation site for the Catarman Airport because the expansion is not feasible under its present location as a big portion of the facility is located within a military reservation while both ends of the runway are classified as main roads.