NEARING COMPLETION. The tourism jetty port and passenger terminal in Dauin, Negros Oriental is about 85 percent complete. Alongside a port project in Apo Island, it is expected to bolster the town's economy and increase tourist arrivals. (Contributed photo)
DUMAGUETE CITY – A multi-million pesos jetty ports project in the town of Dauin in Negros Oriental is expected to bring in more tourists who want to visit the renowned Apo Island.
“We need a convenient jetty port to transport tourists to Apo Island and back, especially when the sea turns rough,” Mayor Galicano Truita said Friday.
The PHP200-million ports project –one in Barangay Maayong Tubig in mainland Dauin and the other in Apo Island– are 85 percent and 80 percent complete, respectively.
The facility in mainland Dauin, which includes a passenger terminal building, is scheduled for soft opening in the third week of July.
The local government unit will manage the facilities, and is currently preparing the fees and other charges for port users.
Tourist arrivals are seen to increase once the ports are fully operational. Both ports are expected to be fully operational by January next year, the mayor said.
Post-pandemic tourism arrivals in Dauin have doubled to 10,000 a month, he added.
The Dauin jetty port project is complementary to the existing wharf in Malatapay, Barangay Maluay in nearby Zamboanguita town, the jump-off point for boats heading to Apo Island, he said.
Truita said he has already spoken to the Zamboanguita mayor and assured the latter that tourist boat operators will not be displaced. (PNA)
