Hey there, folks, is it still January? Just kidding! Oh well, it has been one of the longest months of the year, a lot of things happened in a span of 31 days, but let us not forget to welcome with open arms the love month! Yes, it is the first day of February and we are excited to share more love this season, not to mention it is also a leap year.

Let us manifest a colorful love month this year! Speaking of colorful, have you seen the highlights of the recent Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo?

It was visually captivating with all the vibrant colors of the stunning costumes and live performances by the tribes from different parts of the region. This festival is a mix of cultural and religious celebration every fourth Sunday of January. Hala Bira! is the most common phrase during the festival which means “dispense all means” in Aklanon.

Shout out to Tribu Pan-ay and the Tultugan Festival for bringing home the championship crowns in the Tribes Competition and the “Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan,” respectively. The Dinagyang Festival is bringing innovations for the locals and the tourists to enjoy from cultural performances, arts, and of course gastronomic treats!

Ilo-ilo is in full swing, especially with the privatization of the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex, Panay Island’s premier port and one of the country’s most important seaports.

The Philippine Ports Authority, through its Bids and Awards Committee for Port Terminal Management Contracts, awarded to International Container Terminal Services Inc. the Notice of Award on 29 January the management of the ICPC for a total project cost of P10,529,133,911.03.

Although the Notice to Proceed is still to be issued, under the contract ICTSI must remit 20 percent of its annual gross revenues to PPA for the first five years, following by a fixed concession fee on the sixth to tenth years, allowing for incremental increases based on the consumer price index every three years from the eleventh to the twenty-fifth years.

Following the issuance of the NoA, the contract will undergo a review by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel before its signing and execution, culminating in the issuance of the NtP.

The ICPC is among the four major ports in the country to be privatized after the ports of Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos as part of PPA’s effort to decongest the ports of Manila. It is one of the initiatives of PPA General Manager Jay Santiago to transform the ports into world-class facilities and to contribute to the global economic trade.

Just like the Dinagyang Festival where tourists and locals get to see the culture and traditions of the region, ports are like showrooms to showcase the places’ infrastructure development and progress through time.

With well-organized ports all over the country, the public can expect more benefits in their every day life such as lower transport costs, higher trade volumes, corruption-free transactions with digitalization, and more jobs for the communities. As more infrastructure evolve, greater efficiency and performance awaits the public. After all, we are in the same boat so Hala Bira!