Municipality of Liloan, Cebu
May 27, 2023
“Today, I stand together with the people of Liloan for two significant reasons. First, we witness the grand launching of Pier 88, which shall offer a faster transport alternative for passengers and cargo, and holds promise to become a local economic hub. It shall immensely serve the interest of the people of Liloan and beyond,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remarked as he led the grand launching of Pier 88 at the Municipality of Liloan in Cebu Province.
Pier 88 is a three-phase port and commercial development project that is expected to bring enhanced connectivity and mobility as it will serve as a marine highway linking the 1st class town of Liloan, located in the northern part of Cebu, to the rest of the Island and neighboring provinces.
“It’s truly encouraging to behold massive undertakings such as this where the local government takes the lead and collaborates with the private sector and other LGUs, in the pursuit of objectives consonant with the national development agenda,” the President said.
He noted that Pier 88 is a prime example of good urban planning, citing that these kinds of projects should be replicated across the country with seamless coordination on the provincial and national levels. As such, he urged for the enactment of the National Land Use Policy, a priority legislative agenda of his Administration, for its fundamental importance to the holistic national development.
“Through a physical framework plan, all mandates and policies on land use shall be integrated – from watersheds to farmlands, from cultural heritage sites to ancestral domains, from protected to disaster-prone areas. Local governments must ensure that their respective physical and land use plans shall conform to and shall be consistent with the national plan. Hence the whole-of-government approach,” President Marcos Jr. stated.
He lauded the local governments of Liloan and Cebu Province for pursuing good urban planning and development practices, as well as its dynamic collaboration with the private sector in Topline Group of Companies and Pier 88 Ventures, Inc. At the same time, he called on local government units nationwide to follow this lead from Cebu.
Developed by Topline Group of Companies and Pier 88 Ventures, Inc. in collaboration with the local government of Liloan, Pier 88 will be Cebu’s first ‘smart port’ as it will incorporate a Smart Port System featuring an automated ticketing system, QR codes and RFID system to be integrated in a mobile application. Set to be launched soon are brand new Topline Seabus passenger vehicles that can accommodate 150 people and equipped with state-of-the-art engines; this will cut the usual land travel time from Liloan to Mactan Island and vice versa from approximately two (2) hours to only 30-45 minutes.
Also set to rise is a commercial building with solar panels, trendy shops and restaurants with an added attraction of a sea-front vista. Operations in Pier 88 are set to commence on May 28, 2023.
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