CEBU CITY, (PNA) — The new P80-million port in Cordova town at the southern end of Mactan Island started its initial operations Saturday, but the 20-hectare complementary reclamation site next to it is far from finished.

Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia gave its contractor a month to “triple time” so it can meet its June target completion.

“The port has the access, but we needed to reclaim the adjacent area for support services like terminal, commercial and other support services,” said Garcia.

Garcia earlier met with Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy and other town councilors.

Sitoy said the port’s 12-meter width cannot accommodate terminal offices or a warehouse so the reclamation project had to be implemented.

The construction of the R80-million port, situated in Sitio Camolinas in Barangay Poblacion, was initiated by the Cordova local government and funded through a R23-million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines, with a R7-million counterpart fund from the Municipal Government of Cordova.

The initial 20-hectare reclamation project component, though, which the province initiated, may not hit its completion target.

Garcia said it will be next to impossible for Caneda Construction to finish filling in the area with the equipment on hand at the site.

If that happens, that can be a ground for province to cancel the contract, she said.

However, if the contractor adds more equipment and work is on a 24-hour shift, it may yet finish the job on the date set by Provincial Engineer Eulogio Pelayre, she said.

In the meantime, the port will be open to vessels. However, only the front side will be operational, Sitoy said.

Sitoy and some town officials Saturday sailed on board VG Shipping from the port to Getafe, Bohol to attend the town’s fiesta.

Sitoy said he will meet Rep. Erico Aumentado there to discuss the possibility of building the Cordova Bridge, a 24-kilometer long span that will pass several islets from Getage, Bohol to Cordova, Cebu.

Earlier, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Cebu chapter passed a resolution calling for the “speedy” implementation of the 20-hectare reclamation project, as this will generate more commerce and trade in the port area.