MANILA PORTS’ SHUTDOWN LOOMS, PPA CHIEF WARNS

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) warned that the Manila International Container Terminal ( MICT) and the Manila South Harbor might soon have to shut down because of cargo congestion.

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said the MICT and South Harbor were almost 100-percent full and a shutdown was imminent if cargo owners and consignees would not withdraw the cleared, ready for delivery and overstaying cargoes.

“Ports, specifically the Manila ports, are the lungs of the country’s commerce and trade. These lungs right now are not functioning efficiently due to congestion. If we continue to ignore calls to withdraw the cargoes, these lungs are in danger of total collapse,” he said.

He warned that a shutdown would lead to a shortage of goods and supplies.

Earlier, International Container Terminal Services Inc. ( ICTSI) Vice President Christian Gonzalez appealed to all cargo owners and stakeholders to regularly withdraw their reefer vans and other containerized cargoes.

As of Friday last week, there were more than 800 cleared reefer vans at the MICT containing perishables like food, medicines and other essentials while more than 2,000 dry containers cleared and ready for delivery were also inside the terminal.

“We really need to clear these cargoes to accommodate the incoming ones as most of our needs to fight this pandemic are in these incoming cargoes,” Santiago said.

Association of International Shipping Lines President Patrick Ronas reiterated the need for consignees to pull out their reefer containers.

“It is imperative that we all take effort in picking up the reefers currently in the terminals as some of them have been in there for quite some time,” Ronas said.

The PPA, along with the Bureau of Customs, Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Agriculture have looked for measures to prevent congestion at the ports after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases issued an order to clear the ports.

The agencies are expected to issue a circular on yard management at the Manila ports.