Dumaguete port closed

I was shocked to see on the news tonight Dumaguete Port Manager, Renato Tolinero, choking on his words and failing to hold back tears, as he confirmed that the Philippine Port Authority has ordered that the seaport, or what we call the pier or pantalan, be closed pending further orders. The reason: "unsettled labor disputes and the need to maintain order."

There have been labor strikes since mid-March and last Saturday violence broke out between the police and the strikers. According to Tolinero, this was the first time in PPA's history that they were closing a port. The Philippines being an archipelago of 7107 islands, seaports are very crucial to a city's survival. With the port closure, a domino effect of negative socio-economic repercussions rapidly ensues.

Dumaguete port by Doctian at flickr

Metropost editor Alex Pal, writes for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and here's how he describes the scuffle that led to the port closure:

"The operation turned violent as the strikers threw stones at the policemen and used the poles of their placards as spears. Some policemen were wounded in the scuffle. The policemen, Perdices noted, were not able to fight back because the mothers used their babies as shields."

The Sun Star also reports that the order for the port closure came directly from the PPA General Manager Oscar Sevilla as well as from the Transportation and Communication Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista.

I usually like posting about what a nice place Dumaguete is. But the reality is, Dumaguete is still on planet earth, therefore, imperfect.