New Passenger Terminal at South Harbor

A new facility at the port of Manila has just been completed. The Doña Eva Macapagal Super Terminal, named after the late First Lady of the late President Diosdado Macapagal will soon be inaugurated with no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, daughter of the couple, as the guest of honor and who is going to grace the occasion.

The completion of the super terminal is just another milestone in the 10-year South Harbor modernization program, a master development plan that calls for the upgrading of piers, tripling of container yard space, and acquisition of new equipment and technology.

With the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI), the former’s cargo handling operator at the Port Management Office of South Harbor (PMO SH), as project developers, the facility is the country’s newest and biggest passenger terminal building at 2,875 square meters. It boasts of amenities comparable with those in the modern airports and train stations – a spacious and fully air-conditioned lounge with a 1,700 seating capacity, fastfood outlets, drinking fountains, TV sets, public address system, public telephone booths, ticketing booths, clean restrooms and a clinic manned by qualified medical personnel – all for the safety and convenience of passengers waiting to board.

Designed to service inter-island passengers to and from Manila on a 24 hours a day, seven days a week availability, the terminal was constructed on Manila Bay at Pier 15 of PMO SH. The pier is also capable of accommodating larger ships, as it used to cater to and service foreign cargo and passenger vessels before the passenger terminal was put up on it.

The construction of the new passenger terminal has been envisioned to promote and enhance competition that will in turn create new opportunities for more efficient shipping operations and lower freight costs, particularly at the domestic level. It is also expected to boost Philippine travel and tourism.

Construction of the terminal started with the ceremonial groundbreaking in the waterfront on 16 May 2002 that was honored by President Gloria Macapagal herself, with ATI and PPA as hosts. Witnessing the ceremony included Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon D. Alvarez, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, PPA General Manager Alfonso G. Cusi and Maritme Industry Authority Administrator Oscar Sevilla.

The passenger terminal, that cost around Php100 million out of the total project cost of Php670 million covering support facilities and equipment, was completed in six-month period. It shall be fully operational in January of next year in time for the commissioning of the Aboitiz Transport Group’s new Superferry vessels.