Comments on: Samal Island International Seaport

By: Randy C

Randy C — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:04:28 +0000

Hi Dave – thanks for your thoughts on the matter. The more opinions I hear, the more I think Ellen may be right – Samal sees a way to grab some of the cash and whether a seaport is ever built is really not of concern.

Otherwise, it doesn’t really make sense.

By: Dave Starr

Dave Starr — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:53:04 +0000

I add my vote to the idea of ‘make up your mind’. The government of Samal is in the enviable position of being in charge of a lovely place with great promise, yet their ideas seem to vary between inspired and out and out “copy cat”.

The idea of a Special Economic Zone is likely a good one. There are two operating today, worthy of note. One, Subic Bay _is_ a seaport, although the actual cargo traffic is smaller thna one might imnagine. eeven though Subic is less thna two hour’s drive fromn Metro Manila via real superhighways there is still not a signiciant commercial freight traffic, when compared with the port of Manila.

The total traffic that will ever come to southern Mindanao is only a fraction of the country;’s total commerce, and building mor eports in the ‘hopes’ they will come is not smart in my view.

The real economic strength pf Subic is in tourism (none of which comes by sea) and manufactiring … which is certainly helped by maribe access but is not at all completely marine oriented.

Clark is the other “jewel” SEZ and it is not on the water at all. It’s main contribution is again tourism, manufacturing and service oriented businesses centering on the BPO area (do you know where you calls to AOL’s help desk wind up)?

A Special Economic Zone is essentially shorthand for a place that businesses can be established and especially foreign-pwned businesses are welcome that obviates most of the horrid, business-unfriendly Philippine government red tape.

So a SEZ for Samal may be a good idea, but the idea that the only viable SEZ model includes a seaport seems wrong to me.

By: Randy C

Randy C — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:04:21 +0000

Hi Ellen – yes, it’s always good to see everyone. Been a busy weekend. Be good to get back home tonight, though.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:35:34 +0000

Family first, Randy .

By: Randy C

Randy C — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:47:33 +0000

Hi Ellen – Yes, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.I hope anyone that celebrates the holiday is enjoying the day. I was going to put something up here but I’ve been busy with family.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:07:34 +0000

Hi all – Happy Thanksgiving.

By: Randy C

Randy C — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:17:19 +0000

Hi Ellen/Bob – got Ellen’s response during a stop at Starbuck’s on my drive to Seattle for the holiday. Wasn’t able to respond but was thinking about this and what she said. I came to the same conclusion as you Bob, it seems IGaCoS can’t really decide what it wants to be. The seaport/free-zone, etc. seem to be the polar opposite direction of the world class residential communities and resorts that are going in. Given Ellen’s remarks about the wave problem alone, that would certainly make me pause if I were looking to buy into one of those communites.

So now we have a no-show bridge and a “pie in the sky seaport”. Wonder what’s next on the horizon?

By: Mindanao Bob

Mindanao Bob — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:19:41 +0000

Hi Ellen – I totally agree. There is no reason for it, so why build it!

It’s kind of like the mythical bridge!

By: Ellen

Ellen — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:58:26 +0000

Bob, it won’t happen. They will just get the national budget portion for Samal and build the wharf, but it won’t be used. Thats my opinion.

By: Mindanao Bob

Mindanao Bob — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:39:18 +0000

I personally see no reason why such a port would be needed. How much need is there for ships to carry cargo to Samal Island? There is not much on the island that would require any kind of raw materials or anything like that. They say that it is needed because Sasa has run out of space. So, does that mean that stuff will be shipped to Samal and then carried over to Davao? I mean, if the reason to build the port is because Sasa is out of space, that would indicate that the ships need to go to the mainland, but will alternatively go to Samal instead, due to the lack of adequate space at Sasa. So, the goods are needed in Davao or elsewhere in Mindanao. So, to bring the goods from Samal to Davao will add cost to the shipping, and will also require space at Sasa. This just makes no sense to me.

For me, Samal needs to decide which direction they want to go. Resort/tourism/eco friendly business or industrialization/shipping and such. It’s a small island and it would seem to me that one direction kind of rules out the other. I mean, if you start industrializing the Island, it just becomes another Davao, even part of Davao. If you aim for tourism, it’s a different place than Davao – clean, pristine, natural, etc. If you do both, the industrialization would wipe out the tourism side, IMHO.