Five years in the wake of the destructive magnitude 7.2 quake, Bohol's Tubigon Seaport rises from the rubble as it reopened Saturday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.

In March 2018, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade inspected the Tubigon Port and ordered to fast-track its extensive repair and renovation.

Under the leadership of Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Jay Santiago and PPA regional port manager James Gantalao, with the guidance of Tugade, the repair was completed in less than nine months.

The renovated Port of Tubigon now has an expanded capacity to accommodate up to 28 ships including larger vessels, nearly thrice its previous capacity of 10 ships.

It has three Ro-Ro wharfs for docking landing craft tanks (LCTs) and barges.

The air-conditioned passenger terminal building can accommodate around 4,000 passengers daily, a substantial increase from its previous 1,500-passenger capacity. Not only is it spacious, it also offers a child care station facility, and enhanced security facilities including a baggage X-ray machine and a walk-thru metal detector.

The rehabilitation project also includes the establishment of a one-stop shop for a more convenient clearing and payment of port charges; the repair of the pedestrian covered walkway, lighting system, security fence and gate; and improvements on the port access road.

The Tubigon port serves as a primary dock to vessels plying the Tubigon-Cebu City route. It is also the best option for travellers from Bohol going to Cebu and vice versa because of short travel time, numerous transport schedules, cheap fares and availability of public vehicles that ply routes to any point in Bohol. DMS