PPA awards P550-M Bohol port expansion project

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said it awarded a P550.67‑million contract to expand and upgrade Bohol’s Tubigon Port in Bohol to Ormoc-based JFAP Construction.

In a notice of award posted on Tuesday but dated Dec. 18, the regulator said 13 construction companies submitted proposals for the project.

Tubigon Port serves as an alternative to Tagbiliran port. It links to other major economic regions and handles passenger ferry services.

The contractor for the project was given 720 calendar days to complete the expansion and reconstruction of the port, the PPA said.

The PPA is expecting stronger growth in cargo and passenger traffic this year, enabled by investments in port efficiency.

For 2026, the PPA said it is expecting cargo volume to come in 4.03% stronger at 320.94 million metric tons, driven mainly by higher foreign cargo shipments.

The PPA said foreign cargo volume is expected to rise 4.28% to 202.73 million metric tons in 2025. Domestic cargo volume is expected to rise 3.61% to 118.22 million metric tons.

Passenger traffic is expected to grow 5.78% to 87.26 million, the PPA said, after logging 82.49 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2025.

The PPA logged a record of 6.28 million passengers during the Christmas and New Year travel season, the strongest numbers since its establishment in 1974. The surge was logged between Dec. 15 and Jan. 5. — Ashley Erika O. Jose