MANILA -- Taking advantage of the face-to-face training lull due to COVID-19, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has completed the renovation and improvement of its training facility that will house majority of its executive and management planning sessions and other capacity-building initiatives to reduce cost.

It will also provide the Authority a proper venue that will house the required continuous training of its port police force to maintain their tip-top shape to carry out their sworn duties and functions.

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago explained that the rehabilitation and refurbishment of its training facility in San Fernando, La Union is aimed primarily to reduce the expenses incurred during management meetings and planning sessions as well as other seminars required for PPA employees.

“Annually, PPA is spending a significant amount of its budget in paying for rental fees on venues for organizational events, conferences, and planning sessions, among others. With this improved training facility, it will provide the agency further financial flexibility as most trainings, events, conferences, and the like requiring offsite venues can now be held in the agency-owned training facility,” Santiago explained.

“Wellness seminars and other team-building sessions of PPA employees can also be held in this facility free-of-charge instead of renting other appropriate venues,” Santiago stressed.

“At the same time, it is also a source of income from rental fees as it will be made available to Local Government Units, other government agencies and the private sector within the region for their events,” Santiago said.

PPA, meanwhile, spent some P10 million to modernize the training center. It now boasts of a swimming pool, guest rooms and a multi-purpose function room. Due to the increased guest capacity, an upgraded electrical system was likewise installed in the training facility.

The improvement of the PPA Training Center in La Union was accelerated after the PPA converted its Manila Gender and Development facility into a Molecular Testing Laboratory to help in the government’s fight against the Covide-19 pandemic.

The Authority is also equipping all its Port Management Offices with similar facilities like training rooms and conference halls by incorporating the same in their Port Operations Building specifically to reduce costs in the training of employees .

For the past five years, the PPA has been exerting much effort in finding the most efficent ways to “provide modern, sustainable, and resilient port infrastructures and facilities at par with global standards.”