Aparri port upgrades sought

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — The Cagayan provincial government is advancing plans to modernize the Port of Aparri, aiming to position it as the country’s “Northern Gateway to the Asia-Pacific” and a new driver of trade and industry in Northern Luzon.

Governor Edgar Aglipay is leading the initiative in coordination with the Bureau of Customs, headed locally by District Collector Segundo Sigmundfreud Barte, Jr.

Mr. Aglipay said Aparri’s proximity to China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea gives it a strategic advantage, supporting national priorities on infrastructure modernization, trade facilitation, and border protection while helping ease congestion at Manila’s seaports.

Modernization plans include expanded berths and container yards, dredging works, and upgraded navigational systems to accommodate larger vessels.

The proposal also covers the establishment of inland container terminals in Tuguegarao and Aparri to streamline cargo movement and improve logistics efficiency across the region.

In the long term, the province envisions developing Aparri into an offshore oil transshipment hub and an industrial complex comparable to Singapore’s Jurong Island, attracting investments and generating employment. Officials said the strategy aims to open new trade corridors for Northern Luzon and stimulate broader economic activity.

The project is being pursued in coordination with the Philippine Ports Authority, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Regional Development Council Region II, as Cagayan positions itself as a connected and competitive gateway to the Asia-Pacific. — Artemio A. Dumlao