The Philippine Ports Authority has to  satisfactorily  explain the inconvenience of the passengers—their supposed clients—at the Tagbilaran tourist port while repair is ongoing.
Prov’l Board Member Tomas Abapo Jr., chair of the SP Committee on Good Government, Justice and Human Rights, took the cudgels to make  the ports management aware  that walking under the scorching heat of the sun is not a welcoming and pleasant  note for tourists or even  any visitor entering the province through the Tagbilaran City port.
The SP approved Abapo’s move to invite Port Manager Annie Manese together with the contractor to the June 19 pre-session in order to make plans on how to lessen the inconvenience of the riding public while the new terminal building is under construction.
Abapo emphasized in his impromptu privilege speech during last Friday’s regular session that repairs and construction are inevitable, but there should be some alternatives to reduce the inconvenience it would cause.
“We can’t avoid these repairs and construction, but the planning should have included steps to make it less inconvenient for the people,†he said. Perhaps, a covered walk should be provided on where the passengers will walk thorough upon arrival to get their rides, either in public or private cars.
Service should still be at the standard level, considering that government agencies are there to serve the people, according to Abapo.
“Government agencies exist for citizens, not citizens for government agencies. Just as the Sabbath is made for man, not man for Sabbath,†Abapo said.
He said he personally saw for himself how the old people, passengers carrying babies, and others carrying heavy baggage walked around 100 meters from the point corner to the entrance of the original parking area up to the passengers terminal, or around 200 meters if the passenger has to start from the location of the ticketing booths at the side of the port’s entrance.
“Since vehicles and tricycles cannot go near the port, old people and those carrying babies will have to walk this  long a distance,†Abapo noted.
He also noticed that the PPA did not even care to provide any facility to make minimize the inconvenience.
“No covered sidewalk is provided to protect them from the sheer heat of the sun,†Abapo added.
DONE IN SEPTEMBER
The construction of a new terminal building inside the port area is causing the inconvenience of the riding public, admitted port officer-in-charge Jun Arao-arao when contacted by The Chronicle yesterday.
Pressed to comment on when the project be completed, he said the target is 3rd quarter of the year. At the rate the work is going on, he expects the project to be done by September this year.
This means the riding public has three months more to suffer the inconvenience especially those who do not have private vehicles since the waiting area for tricycles is few meters away from the tent terminal. During arrivals, even those with private vehicles have to walk under the scorching heat of the sun since the one-lane road could not accommodate vehicles picking up arriving passengers.
Vehicles are allowed to enter up near the terminal for drop-off of departing passengers.