SULU (Mindanao Examiner / May 9, 2014) – Port authorities in the southern Philippine province of Sulu has started tightening security in the pier as part of its improvement and officials are supporting the move in an effort to further secure the safety of passengers and vessels plying here.
Sulu Governor Totoh Tan has recently inspected the Port of Jolo (Sultan Syed Shariful Hashim Port of Sulu) where additional construction projects are going on. He also attended a conference by the Regional Ports Management Authority.
Tan was also briefed by the Department of Transportation and Communications about maritime operations and other projects and programs for the port. Project Engineer Ricardo Quintos, of the DJ Legazpi Construction Company, also reported the progress of the project at the port.
The governor has suggested to port authorities to clear the area so it can maximize the movement and mobility of heavy equipment and trucks going in and out of the pier and hasten its traffic operation there.
The port authority will impose a stricter rule at the port’s entrance and would require an identification card or boat ticket to all those who getting inside the pier. This is to prevent the proliferation of ‘fixers’ and mendicants at the pier.
The Coast Guard and the Port Police will also play a vital role in the implementation of the rules.
Tan also gave an emphasis on the sanitation of inside the ferries and passenger boats, including its facilities and amenities following numerous complaints from passengers.
Among those who attended the port conference were port manager Ibnohashim Undug; Director Abdulbasar Abdulla, of the Maritime Industry Authority; SPO4 Jose Hovia, chief of the local Maritime Police; Chief Petty Officer Adoni Marzo, of the Philippine Coast Guard; Senior Inspector Rustom Abalos, of the Special Action Force; Romeo Sarinding, of the Department of Transportation and Communications; Terminal supervisor Ibrahim Anduli; Maribeth Chiong, of the National Telecommunications Commission; Mohammad Ali Pundamudag, of the Bureau of Customs and shipping lines representatives. (Franzie Sali)
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