Navotas fishport to be modernized, worth P2.

7B
Created on Friday, 25 May 2012 Published Date

Metro Manila and suburbs will enjoy more supply and stable prices of fresh
and quality fish with the upgrading of the 35-year old Navotas Fish Port
Complex
(NFPC).
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said this would be the scenario in
2015, when the 47.5-hectare fish port complex would have been renovated
and
modernized.
The upgrading of the NFPC, costing P2.7 billion, is one of the five big
infrastructure projects recently endorsed and submitted by the Investment
Coordination Committee (ICC) of the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) for approval by the NEDA Board, chaired by President
Benigno
S.
Aquino.
Secretary Alcala said the project will be completed in four years, under the
supervision of the DA through the Philippine Fish Development Authority
(PFDA).

It will entail three major activities, namely: upgrading

of landing quay, market halls, piers, parking areas,
drainage system and breakwater; construction of wharf
landing, dredging of harbor basin, and provision of an
area for ship repair and other agri-fishery enterprises; and
provision of new facilities like cold storage system,
conveyors, fish sorting areas, and waste water treatment
plant.
Navotas fish port is considered the countrys biggest and oldest in the
country
which
began
operations
in
1977.
To finance the project, the Philippine government will seek a loan worth
P2.56 billion from the China Export-Import Bank, and share a counterpart of
P137
million.
Secretary Alcala said with the modern NFPC, fish supply and prices in Metro
Manila would be stabilized, as total fish unloading and trading would increase
by about 60 percent from the current annual average of 131,934 metric tons
(MT) to 210,806 MT by 2015. Further, postharvest losses would be reduced
considerably, with the new ports faster sorting, delivery, transport systems,
and
availability
of
cold
storage
facilities.

Further, the renovated fish port would directly benefit more than 7,500
fisherfolk, 4,400 fishery-based enterprises and 2,335 fishing vessels. It would
also create new jobs for 30,900 individuals during the construction and
operational
phases.
For his part, newly-appointed PFDA General Manager Eduardo M. Chu said
the NFPC project is a big challenge, and acknowledged the efforts of past DA
and PFDA administrations in preparing the projects groundwork.
He said the benefits will not be confined among the NFPC clients, but more
importantly redound to fish consumers in the National Capital Region (NCR)
as 80% of the regions fish supply comes from Navotas. Daily, an average of
380 metric tons of various fish species is unloaded and traded at the
port. (DA
Information
Service
&
PFDA)
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