PPA General Manager Jay Santiago.
COMMITTED to providing modern, sustainable and resilient port infrastructures and facilities throughout the country, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) posts 83% budget utilization rate (BUR) in 2022, the highest in the previous years despite the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 83% rate shows that PPA was able to maximize and implement responsible usage of its corporate budget with a huge increase in budget utilization rate comparing it from 71% in 2021 and 62% in 2020.
“I congratulate everyone for continuously working hard and for staying true to our vision of providing quality projects over the years. For 2023, we are aiming to surpass our 83% to 90%. We want to show the public that we are serious in getting the job done at wala pong budget na nasasayang sa PPA, lahat po ay ibinabalik natin sa taumbayan in forms of services and infrastructure projects,” PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said in a statement.
Since 2016, PPA recorded an increasing trend in capital expenditures along with the developmental programs and income generating projects that continued even during the height of the pandemic.
A total of 62% budget utilization rate was recorded in 2020 and 71% in 2021. In terms of locally funded projects, last year (2022) the PPA recorded a total of 97% utilization rate that were allocated to 62 projects including the construction of port operational area, construction of passenger terminal building, installation of LED lights, dredging of entrance channel, and renovation of port buildings among others.
“Pursuant to the “Build Better More” directive of the current administration, in PPA we make sure to cut the logistics cost by ensuring that our operations are more efficient. Towards this end, digitalization plays a huge role in providing quality and real-time services the public,” Santiago said.
Meanwhile, new seaport projects are set to be completed during the first year of President Ferdinand “Bong-bong” Marcos Jr., including 17 projects in Luzon, 4 projects in Visayas, and 9 in Mindanao.
Six projects were already completed earlier this year while 13 projects are ongoing and more infrastructure projects are set to roll out this 2023. Among these projects include construction of Passenger Terminal Building, Port Operations Building, Transit shed and Port Operations Area, extension of RC Pier, construction of Back-Up areas and RoRo ramps, and rehabilitation of damaged wharf and more.
“Ginagawa lang po natin ang ating trabaho na ibalik sa tao ang nararapat na serbisyo na kanilang dapat natatanggap, hindi po pwede sa atin na mayroong mga hindi mapakinabangan na pantalan o mayroong hindi nagagamit na budget para iimprove pa ang mga pasilidad ng PPA. We were given a task and that is to facilitate the operations and make sure that the public can feel these developments, kaya kung makikita niyo po kahit saang pantalan kayo magpunta, maayos at wala pong aberya sa byahe,” Santiago said.
In 2015, the PPA recorded a total of 52% budget utilization rate, upon the takeover of Santiago, the agency reported a more or less 12% increase every year, making year 2022 the highest with 83% budget utilization rate.
