United States government agencies in the Philippines: ports and harbors and Philippine recovery

Title

Creator

Planas, J. Gualberto

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXV (No. 7) July 1949

Year

1949

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

July, 1919 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL JOT United States Government Agencies in the Philippines Ports and Harbors and Philippine Recovery By J. Gualberto Planas WHETHER the Philippines will be able to re sume its pre-war stride in commerce in order to arrive at a speedier national economic recover,y depends on the extent of rehabilitation work accomplished on the ports and harbors wrecked by war and damaged by lack of maintenance during the enemy occupation. Unrepaired and inadequately port and harbor facilities incapacitate the resumption of ship ping and trade — than which condition, many Filipino statesmen and economists believe, no greater hindrance to Philippine progress exists. To aid the young Republic in the task of rebuild ing and improving port and harbor installations, the American Government, under the terms of the Philip pine Rehabilitation Act of 1946, authorized the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a program of rehabilitation on majTr Philippine ports. The Manila District Corps of Engineers (MANED) was placed in charge of the program. The rehabilitation program was evolved on the basis of a ‘preliminary survey report prepared by Col. C. L. Hall, CE, dated August 20, 1945. Subsequently, MANED made more detailed studies of the ports in cluded in the preliminary surveys and from these developed the Firm Works Program, designed to fit the aim outlined for MANED: that of accomplishing' within the limits of the funds available, the rehabilita tion of the Port of Manila and 14 other national ports selected by the Philippine Government and of restor ing their facilities substantially as they existed before the war. Also included in the program is the acquisi tion of a dredging plant and other equipment needed for the maintenance of navigable channels and harbor areas. In addition to the reconstruction work, a training program for 10 Philippine Army and Public Works engineers in the United States has been undertaken by MANED for the purpose of acquainting these technically trained men with the latest methods of locale selection, construction, maintenance, and opera tion of port and harbor facilities. These men are now in the United States and will return next June after completion of their training and studies. Accomplishments of the program to date include paving of Manila North and South Harbor streets, an initial breakwater extension at North Harbor, Manila, construction of a gate house on Muelle de San Fran cisco in Manila, and rehabilitation of the pier at Pulupandan, Negros Occidental. Work on Pakiputan Wharf at Davao was completed on March 16. In ad dition, rehabilitation vf the ports of Cebu, Iloilo, Tabaco, Cagayan, and Iligan are underway. Contracts have been let for work at Zamboanga and Jolo. Re construction of Pier 9 in Manila is about half com pleted, as are repairs to slips and piers and a second extension to the breakwater at North Harbor, Manila. Work on the Rockwell Station nt Makati is progressing as ra pidly as arrival of equipment allows. The completion of this new power station will make an additional 50.000 kilowatts available to supply the increased demand for electricity in Manila and its MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY 134 San Marcelino. Manila PREFERRED and SOLD in 87 COUNTRIES . HIRAM WALKER & SONS ltd. WALKERVILLE ONTARIO. CANADA-EST. 1858 Sole Distributors in the Philippines KUENZLE & STREIFF, INC 343-347 T. Pinpin Street (Between Dasmarinas & Gandara Streets) Manila To equip the Philippine Port Works in the servicing of harbors and channels, the program turn ed over to the Philippine Government the 700-cubic July, 1949 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 308 LUZON STEVEDORING COMPANY, INC. MANILA yard hopper dredge Barth, the 18-inch hydraulic pipe line dredge Sacramento, and a giant 60-ton capacity barge-mounted crane. In addition, three 3/4-cubic yard dipper dredges are being procured in the United States. One of the larger projects of the MANED pro gram is the reconstruction of Pier 13. Formerly Pier 7 and a famous landmark, this pier was gutted and severely damaged by bombing. The deck of the pier will be rebuilt and in place of the once spectacular ly long single cargo shed, four sheds will be construct ed on the rebuilt deck. Funds for the program come from the general ap propriation of $120,000,000 allocated from time to time by the American Congress in accordance with the terms set forth under Title III of the Philippine Re habilitation Act. To date, P35,600,000 has been ap propriated, of which the sum of Pll,200,000 has al ready been expended in the prosecution of the program. To supervise the rehabilitation projects all over the country, resident offices have been established by MANED at Manila’s North and South Harbors, at Davaox Cebu, and Tabaco (Albay). The Visayan re sident office at Cebu City has supervision over the projects at Cebu, Jolo, Zamboanga, Iligan, Cagayan, Iloilo, and Pulupandan. Other resident offices are located at Clark Field, Pampanga, and at Fort Mc Kinley, Manila, The present location of the district office is at Fisher streets and Harrison Avenue, Rizal City. The present district engineer is Lt. Col. W. W. Ragland, CE, who is also the head of the rehabilitation program. He succeeded Col. Clarence Renshaw, former MANED chief, last August, 1948. Pacific S Paints ... they will give you the most in protection, beauty and ease of use. So, remember that Pacific has a paint for every purpose— and a color for every taste. Distributed by Marsman & Co., Inc. • TRADING DIVISION • Anda at Sta. Lucia, Intramuros, Manila, Tel. 2-79-31 Branches: CEBU — ILOILO — DAVAO — BACOLOI) When completed in June, 1950, the MANED pro gram is expected to have restored Philippine port and harbor facilities to a condition where service to trade and shipping can be normally maintained. There after, the maintenance and the prosecution of the Phil ippine Government’s pre-war plans on improvement and expansion of Philippine ports and harbors may be resumed to keep up with the expected increase in for eign and domestic trade. At present, the unrepaired condition of Piers 13, 11, and 7 at Manila South Harbor complicates the problem of berthing cargo ships. Before the war there were 8 berths available for handing cargo; to day, there are but 7, while monthly cargo tonnage has increased from 105,000 tuns pre-war to as much as the present monthly 190,000 tons. The absence of cargo sheds makes handling this tonnage even more difficult. Philippine and foreign businessmen are optimistic about the improvement of port and harbor facilities. Reports from firms working on the Manila waterfront show that there has been a marked decrease in pilfer age and loss in 1948 over what was sustained the previous post-Liberation years. Officials and business men alike believe prospects for better port accommo dations and cargo handling will be much brighter when the MANED port and habor rehabilitation program is completed. With the consequent return of a once flourishing trade and commerce, Philippine economicrecovery will have rounded a difficult corner. United States Information Service, Manila

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