Sibugay lacks airport, seaport

NAGA, Sibugay — The municipal government of Naga is urging the national government to revisit plans for constructing a provincial seaport and to complete the long-abandoned airport in the province.

Naga Mayor Rino O. delos Reyes expressed concern on Monday that the province lacks both a functional seaport and airport, which significantly hampers trade and travel.

Without a seaport, local traders face difficulties shipping raw materials and products to other parts of the country. Additionally, the absence of a working airport prevents residents from easily traveling to major cities like Manila, Cebu, Davao and Zamboanga City.

The government promised to build an industrial port in Naga 24 years ago, but to date, not a single pillar has been erected.

“Our dream is to make Naga an industrial center in Zamboanga Sibugay, and that’s why we’re pushing for an industrial port at the coastal village of Baluno,” Mayor Delos Reyes said.

He also highlighted the deteriorating condition of the Naga Airport.

“The airport has a runway, but no planes have landed here in over 10 years. The only visitors are birds flying overhead,” he said. He urged the national government to complete the airport and make it functional for the people of Sibugay province.

Naga once had a port that served a large plywood company, but it was abandoned when the company ceased operations several years ago.

Delos Reyes is now calling on the national government to revive the port and make it operational, particularly for traders involved in the production of rubber, one of the province’s main products.

Delos Reyes also pointed out that the municipality’s primary industries are rubber and fishing, with Sibugay Bay being home to an abundant supply of high-quality fish.

However, rubber growers face challenges in processing their produce due to the lack of a rubber processing plant.

“We don’t have a rubber processing plant here, and that makes it difficult to produce high-quality rubber products. This means that rubber traders cannot rely on stable prices,” he explained.

Currently, raw rubber is shipped to other cities through ports in Cagayan de Oro and Davao due to the lack of an industrial port in the province. “It would be a huge advantage for traders if we had an industrial provincial port here in Zamboanga Sibugay,” Delos Reyes added.