Philippine Ports Authority Negros Oriental manager Renato Tolinero said yesterday the PPA cannot wait until 2010 for the informal settlers residing in the port zone in Barangay Looc, Dumaguete City, to vacate the place.

Tolinero reminded the city government about the implementation of the memorandum of agreement it signed with PPA on the relocation of the informal settlers.

Mayor Agustin Perdices, however, stressed that before he left City Hall in 1998, more than 200 families have already transferred to the housing site in Barangay Cadawinonan.

But, over the years he added, these settlers have slowly returned to Looc and reconstructed their dwellings there, making the clearing operation more difficult.

Perdices said he believes it is now the responsibility of PPA to secure the vacated areas after the government had convinced them to transfer to the housing site constructed through PPA funds.

Tolinero said that full blast operation of an expanded port needs more space especially in the movement of containers and cargoes.

The Dumaguete Port Expansion Project worth P394 million is almost complete and also the P48.5 million passenger terminal building.*JG

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