Erap greenlights P7.4-B Manila Harbour Centre project

An additional 50 hectares of Manila Bay will be reclaimed for the P7.4 billion Manila Harbour Centre expansion project of the Manila City government with the Philippine Reclamation Authority and R-II Builders.

In a statement on Sunday, Mayor Joseph Estrada announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to officially seal their partnership.

“The P7.4 billion project entails the reclamation of 50 more hectares of Manila Bay to expand the reclaimed land area of the existing 79-ha Manila North Harbour Centre, the country’s biggest international commercial port for bulk and break-bulk cargoes operated by Harbour Centre Port Terminal, Inc,” the city government said.

The statement said the expansion would allow Harbour Centre to handle larger vessels and accommodate “14 to 16 large vessels at a time, depending on size and more than double its current yearly cargo volume of 6 million metric tons.”

The expansion would also speed up the process of cargo handling and reduce the cost.

“The project will also deepen the draft of the port’s berth to 4 meters, enabling it to accommodate the port calls of large international vessels,” the statement read.

The city council supported the MOU signing by ratifying Manila’s joint venture agreement (JVA) with R-II Builders Inc. in August. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

“Under the JVA with R-II Builders Inc., Manila will be appropriated with a 15-hectare portion of the soon-to-be-reclaimed area, which the city government is planning to develop as a new industrial complex,” the statement said.