3 Cebu ports eyed for int’l cruise stations

Consistent with the plan to develop international cruise tourism, the Cebu Port Authority said it has three major seaports as potential docking stations.

CPA general manager Francisco Comendador III identified these ports as the Cebu International Port, Port 88 in Liloan and Cebu South Harbor, and Container Terminal in Talisay City as potential ports for cruise ships.

"This is a welcome opportunity for the Port of Cebu to be able to feature our world-class port facilities here and to be acknowledged on a global scale. We are closely collaborating with DOT on this to also ensure the readiness of our ports in anticipation of more port calls from top cruise ship lines," Commendador said.

Earlier, Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco reiterated to make the Philippines a top cruise tourism destination.

The plan to make Cebu a destination for international cruise liners is in line with the National Cruise Tourism Development Strategy and Action Plan of the DOT.

It aims to promote and market the Philippines as an attractive and diverse cruise destination, offering high-level customer satisfaction and cost-effective deployment for cruise liners operating in major homeports in Asia.

Comendador said DOT officials were joined by executives of Wallem Philippines Shipping Inc. and partner international offshore handlers in inspecting CIP last week.

Currently, the CIP serves as the main port for international cargo, bulk, and breakbulk cargo vessels while the Cebu South Port and Container Terminal Services Corp. is a new privately-owned container yard for breakbulk cargo operations.