The upgrade of Antique’s capital town feeder port amounting to PHP290.7 million, is in full swing.

San Jose de Buenavista Municipal Economic Enterprise and Development Officer Darcy Bungay said in an interview on Thursday that the project has encountered delays since it broke ground on Sept. 30, 2024.

“With the start of 2025, the construction work is now in full swing with the contractor’s needed crane and other heavy equipment having arrived already,” Bungay said.

He said the port upgrade would be completed over 484 days, so they expect it to be operational by 2026.

“Once the port is already finished, it could accommodate commercial fishing vessels because of its wider berthing or landing space,” Bungay said.

The docking of the fishing boats can be regulated as fishermen could sell their freshly caught fish at the trading hall and avail of the cold storage facility at the fish port.

The fish port upgrade, funded by the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) with a 10 percent counterpart from the local government unit, will include the installation of lighting fixtures, office building, and other amenities.

Bungay said at present, the fish port could not accommodate commercial vessels, except fishing boats, because of its small berthing area.

Likewise, fishermen are forced to sell their fresh catch immediately or within the day because there is no cold storage facility available.

“Once the fish port is finished, it could really boost the livelihood of the local fishermen, as well as generate employment,” Bungay said. (PNA)