By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The new Bredco Port terminal is set to be fully operational by next month.

According to Bredco President John Alonte, the new port terminal is designed to accommodate around 5,000 passengers and is “structurally finished,” adding, “What’s only missing are equipment like x-ray machines, metal detectors, and the cabling systems.

The Bredco Port terminal was originally supposed to be inaugurated last week.

Alonte added, plans are also underway for roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) operation expansion.

“We are following international guidelines because we plan to make this port into a showcase,” he said.

In terms of the costs for necessary improvement and expansion, Alonte was unable to come up with a figure but said they are “committed to spending and investing [in] whatever needs to be modernized.”

Meanwhile, the Bredco official said he wants to convert the facility into a transshipment point, an intermediate destination where goods are then shipped to another destination. However, he acknowledged there is “very few outgoing or outbound freight.”

“Bredco port is the most strategically located port in the Visayas,” Alonte stressed. “Better than Cebu.”/DGB, WDJ