PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal Arroyo cap her nine-year palace regime with no less than a turn over and inauguration of nearly P368 million Ubay Port expansion project Thursday, June 24. The visit, which nails the claim that her administration has so far implemented the most number of mega-million key development support infrastructure here would be her second this year, next to the launching of the Tourism super regions last February. The President, who would be turning over the reins of power of the country to President elect Benigno Aquino III on June 30, was instrumental in funding and completing the implementation of the Bohol Irrigation Projects I and II, the Bohol Circumferential Improvement Project, the Leyte-Bohol Power Inter-connection Project, four of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway Roll-On-Roll-Off ports and the yet un-awarded Panglao Airport.

Since its opening and prior to the port expansion project, Ubay has been serving regular four times a day Cebu slow boat routes. It also serves ferry boat schedules to Bato and Maasin in Leyte where the passengers or cargo follow the Maharlika Highway on to Manila and off to other destinations in northern Luzon. From Bato or Maasin, regular trips by bus also can take passengers to Mindanao via ferryboat from Southern Leyte to Surigao and on to any land destination in the country's southern provinces. The old port in Ubay used to be 3,726 square meters inclusive of the almost 500 sqm cause way is now nearly ten times its size, now at 32,604.90 sqm, data from the Philippine Ports Authority Project Monitoring Office show. Phase 1 of the expansion project which include the construction of a back-up area, reinforced concrete pier, RORO ramps, dredging, putting up of mooring and fendering facilities and port lighting was awarded to Marra Builder Incorporated in 2008. It was completed 720 days later.

The Project's phase 2 was bid in September of 2009 and was awarded anew to Marra, who is expected to complete the projects phase in November of this year. With the new and rehabilitated areas, the port in Ubay now accounts for a 3,330 sq meters of access road, 7,202.65 sq m of working area, 19,873 open storage areas, 1520 sq. m of parking spaces and 387 sqm of RORO ramps. Other items in the project include a passenger terminal building, office building and other structures. Moreover, local government officials are also endorsing another project: the new port access road connecting to the national highway, to be funded by the public works department. Meanwhile, as the project would be turned over, next in line would be to upgrade the Ubay feeder airport into the main airlift facility support for northeast Bohol, Governor Aumentado said. He has also said the facility, aside from Tapon wharf, would be very crucial infrastructure support to the proposed of the Multi-Industry Cluster (MIC) already submitted for Korean funding. (PIABohol)