Port utilization at ‘healthy’ levels amid holiday rush

THE PHILIPPINE Ports Authority ( PPA) yesterday said the country’s major ports remain “very healthy” and are handling the Christmas rush efficiently.

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago nonetheless urged cargo owners to proceed with the withdrawal of goods in anticipation of the influx of more goods for Chinese New Year in February.

“I am urging all cargo owners and other stakeholders to maintain their current operations in order to have a swift turnaround time for their cargoes and if possible send their exports bound for Chinese ports early to prevent any hold up when celebrations for the Chinese New Year kick in,” Mr. Santiago said.

“Philippine ports, particularly our international gateways, will be in full commercial operations except for a couple of hours on Christmas and New Year’s Day because ships continue to come and go even during holidays,” the PPA chief added.

PPA said current cargo utilization at the country’s two main gateways — the Manila International Container Terminal and the Manila South Harbor — are at 60%, the equivalent of about 49,000 twenty- foot equivalent units inside the terminal ready to be withdrawn or exported.

Yard productivity at the two terminals also remains high with an average of 20- 25 moves an hour which both terminals attribute to the Truck Appointment and Booking System as well as the high storage penalty imposed by the PPA.

Cargo volume, it noted, has also been on an uptrend since the start of the third quarter due to the run- up to Christmas, at about 10% per month.

Mr. Santiago said aside from maintaining efficiency in cargo movements, PPA also maintained tight security at the domestic ports to ensure safety and comfort of passengers while inside the terminals.

PPA has likewise assured importers, exporters and cargo owners that ports have enough capacity with the coming Chinese New Year, a feature of which is a shutdown by Chineseowned firms for two days or so.

PPA reported last month that the volume of cargo passing through the country’s ports rose 9% in the first nine months of the year, amid a growing economy and the rush to have goods in stores by Christmas.

Throughput hit 183.73 million metric tons ( MMT) in the January to September period compared with the 168.074 MMT logged a year earlier. —