International container port to rise in FAB

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The proposed plan to put up an international container port terminal at the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) in the industrial town of Mariveles, this province, is absolutely a big boost to the export-import economic posture of the country.
Virgilio Pagulayan, president and chief executive officer of Bizlink.ph based at Fort Bonifacio Global City, has stressed the overall advantages of the projected container port terminal to the fast emerging ecoindustrial zone in Central Luzon and one of the top three public-private partnership projects of Bataan Governor Albert S. Garcia to ensure development of the historic peninsula.
In the straightforward assessment of Mr. Pagulayan, the construction and development of a transshipment hub at the mouth of Manila Bay plays a pivotal role to the rapidly growing Central Luzon economy and would further elevate the country’s status to a higher level of economic prosperity.
The heavily congested Metro Manila depots and terminal and existing slow-paced traffic have seriously affected the marketing and delivery of essential products to the international markets.
FAB authorities have provided valuable information to the proposed project with a total area of 160 hectares as the land reclamation endeavor with a total berth length of more than 6 kilometers, 20 container berths capacity and 100 hectares of container storage yards.
Governor Garcia, however, forecasted the operation of the international transshipment center in the province, would create a more viable business atmosphere as the national government is looking forward for the transfer of some agencies to the Clark Special Economic Zone.
More local and foreign investors from different manufacturing, housing and commercial retailing sectors are evaluating the productive advantage and other nonfiscal incentives available for them in the historic peninsula.
Governor Garcia underscored the enterprising program of the new administration which is geared toward appropriate solutions to decades old monstrous traffic, growing migrant population, air pollution and other healthy characteristics confronting highly-urbanized metropolis like Manila.
He explained that Bataan which is offering excellent financial tax incentives and geographically ideal industrial estates for manufacturing and other large scale enterprising ventures, is apparently a premier industrial hub in Central Luzon with two operational ports.
He said with the existing seven special ecozones conveniently located in the five towns of Bataan with efficient and stable power and water supply, good infrastructure and communication facilities, availability of highly skilled labor force and other amenities are the big contributing factors in the success of the transformation process of the incoming locators.