CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental — Plans are on the table for the establishment of the biggest naval base in Mindanao, according to defense secretary Gilbert 'Gibo' Teodoro Jr. even as he mention that the management of state-owned Phividec Industrial Authority (PIA) has expressed confidence they will be able to accommodate the national government’s plan to establish a naval base within its 3,000-hectare industrial estate in Misamis Oriental.

Earlier, PIA administrator Donato Bernedo announced that there were already in talks with the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Philippine Navy (PN) on identifying a suitable location for the facility, which will have mixed military and civil defense uses.

Bernedo said that among the areas identified for the naval base is a 300-ha property with some 800 meters of sea frontage that used to be reserved for an integrated steel milling venture that did not push through.

The Phividec estate in Misamis Oriental that spans across Tagoloan and Villanueva towns is an economic zone registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). It lies about 30 kilometers from the Lumbia air base in Cagayan de Oro City, one of the installations covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the country and the United States.

Secretary Teodoro Jr., who laid out to the public the government’s plan last November, disclosed that the base, when established, would function as the Navy’s operational nerve center in the region.

"It will have a dockyard for ship maintenance to ensure fleet readiness and host a disaster response hub. The facility is targeted to be completed by 2026 as funding through the Office of the President has already been prepared," he revealed.

"This allows the upcoming naval facility to complement the Lumbia airbase’s logistics function, both for military and civil defense purposes. Apart from hosting a Philippine Air Force wing, the Lumbia facility is also slated to host the operations center of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council," the defense chief added.