No port congestion this Christmas – PPA

With cargo volumes expected to increase with the onset of the ’ber months, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has assured the public that ports will not be congested.

PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago expressed optimism yesterday that the country would not experience another port congestion like what hap- pened the past years.

“Despite the surging numbers, we guarantee that our ports will remain clog-free and can accommodate passenger and ship call volumes,” Santiago said in a statement.

“The strong performance of the cargo segment underscores the country’s economic resilience. The strong numbers in the passage sector also suggests the continuing vibrancy of both the local and international travel industries and more people are now considering traveling using ships,” he added.

The combined yard utilization at Manila ports is currently pegged at 40 percent, with approximately 32,600 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) inside the terminals, while yard productivity ranges from 20- 30 moves an hour.

Santiago said the truck Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS) for the Port of Manila and the Manila International Container Port (MICP) contributed to 96 percent efficiency yard management.

“With this kind of yard utilization, we can say that Philippine ports are ready to handle the expected increase in the volume of cargo due to the run-up to Christmas,” Santiago said.

The International Container Terminal Services Inc., which is the MICP operator, has remained the country’s top handler of foreign boxes, processing 1.241 million TEUs for the first seven months of the year, followed by the Manila South Harbor, operated by Asian Terminals Inc., with 584,598 TEUs.

The North Harbor posted the highest volume of domestic boxes handled with 696,495 TEUs.