CEBU CITY, Cebu, May 29 (PIA) -- President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. envisions Cebu’s first “Smart Port,” Pier 88, in Brgy. Poblacion, Liloan, Cebu as a significant part of a puzzle towards connectivity, hassle-free travel, and global trade.

In his speech during the grand opening on May 27, the President said that the seaport project is the starting point for larger projects in the country.

“Today, we put in place a very important piece of that puzzle; that puzzle that we are trying to put together so that our connectivity, not only amongst the islands of the Philippines, but even amongst our international friends and visitors and tourists, is strengthened and made easier and more accessible,” Marcos said.

He also said that the project will not only be beneficial in the town of Liloan, Cebu or the nearby towns but it would benefit the entire country, highlighting the crucial role of tourism, job generation, energy efficiency and sustainability of the seaport project.

The President added that the concept of connectivity has grown to include not only the digital world but also connectivity for traveling by land, sea, and air.

“We have seen, all of us have seen all the problems with supply chain networks and that is why we have focused, all of us have focused on making that connectivity smoother, more streamlined, more accessible and easier to use and therefore making the ease of doing business not such a difficult effort for those who would like to do business in any way whatsoever,” Marcos said.

He said that the initiative will not only benefit local businesses in Cebu in terms of tourism, but will also increase economic activity throughout the nation.

“This is in consonance with the discussions that we have been making with other countries, especially around ASEAN, even including all the way up to Europe, in that we are going to work together to increase our tourism volume and this is, again, this may seem as just one single port, but it is a very good development.” he added. 

He stated that “we must think of it in terms of not only this single port that we are looking at here now but as part of a larger system, a larger network which will make it easier, not only for Filipinos to get from one place to another, for Filipinos to be able to do business, to open up areas that do not have economic activity as of now.”

Pier 88 is a joint venture by the local government of Liloan and Topline Group of Companies, in partnership with Pier 88 Ventures Inc.

It focuses on digital technology and renewable energy into its operations.

As a smart port, it will integrate digital technology in its operations by using QR codes and a radio frequency identification-ready (RFID) system to be integrated in a mobile application, providing passengers convenience while traveling. 

The port also has a green commercial building equipped with solar panels and a Smart Port System that will use an automated ticketing system.

Pier 88 will serve commuters from Liloan, Cebu to different parts of the Visayas including Camotes Island, Bohol, Leyte, and Lapu Lapu City. (MYP/PIA7 Cebu)