International cargoes handled by Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) surged 762% in 2014, ending the year with 98,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), its highest recorded volume in a single year.
Listed port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) said that consolidated throughput at its terminals BCT and Manila South Harbor reached 1.02 million TEUs last year, up 8.6% from 2013.
ATI said BCT has continuously expanded its role as a comprehensive gateway for the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) area, providing shippers direct connectivity to Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, and other global hubs through regular weekly vessel calls.
Batangas port’s utilization as of January 21 was around 60%, according to ATI.
Building on the momentum, ATI said it is further improving its services and port processes this year through continuous investment in equipment, facilities, and technology that is aligned with its expansion plans and its investment commitment with the Philippine Ports Authority.
At Manila South Harbor, ATI is increasing the number of rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) to 23, adding five more RTGs by the second quarter for a 50% fleet expansion since 2012. Its side-loader fleet will also be beefed up by 50% with the deployment of six more units in February.
In addition, ATI is eyeing the rollout of its Vehicle Booking System (VBS) this year, an automated system that will allow trucks controlled 24-hour access to the ports without causing heavy traffic on roads.
This comes after the implementation of a container traffic light system last year that has since equipped truckers with a real-time and online monitoring tool for the timely and organized return of empty containers at the port.
