By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Incumbent Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca recently revealed he requested a development to the city’s port from President Rodrigo Duterte.

The mayor, who invited the media over the weekend to witness the opening of the Kadalag-an Festival, said he made the request during a short meeting with the president.

During the meeting, Palanca said Duterte affirmed it was “too late” to add such a project to this year’s budget but promised it would be included when Congress deliberates the 2020 national budget.

According to the mayor, he informed Duterte opening the city to a shipping route would offer locals a gateway to places such as Iloilo, Boracay, Cebu, Mindoro, Batangas, Romblon, and Manila.

Palanca explained, the closest crossing Victorias City has is to Banate, Iloilo, which is 14 kilometers; shorter compared to the 44-kilometer crossing from Bacolod City to Iloilo City.

The mayor also pointed out, the city is situated in a strategic location as it faces the Visayan Sea.

The port could also serve as a secondary route for vehicles unable to climb the mountains of Don Salvador Benedicto bound for San Carlos City and, ultimately, Cebu.

He further stated, once tourists reach Banate, it would cut travel time to Caticlan, Aklan to only four to five hours; as compared to traveling from Iloilo City, which takes around six hours./DGB, WDJ