The Philippines’ cargo throughput grew 3.97% to 177.334 million metric tons (mmt) in 2011 from 170.566 mmt year-on-year, latest data from the Philippine Ports Authority showed.
The increase was propelled mainly by strong performance of the export sector and the local container trade.
Foreign cargo volume rose 6.1% to 102.475 mmt in 2011 from the previous year’s 96.586 mmt. Of the total, imports accounted for 53.437 mmt, down 3% from 55.118 mmt in 2010; and exports, 49.037 mmt from 41.468 mmt, an 18.25% improvement.
Domestic cargo volume inched up 1.19% to 74.859 mmt from 73.980 mmt.
Significant increases in volume were noted at the ports of Puerto Princesa, Batangas, Surigao and Nasipit with Puerto Princesa posting the fastest growth rate.
Notable volume decline was observed at 12 ports. Iligan suffered the biggest setback followed by Iloilo, Legazpi, Tacloban, Zamboanga and North Harbor due to lesser exports of coal, metal scrap, and minerals and fewer imports of grains, cement and fertilizers.
Containerized cargo volume jumped 9.23% to 4.896 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2011 from 4.482 million TEUs in 2010.
Domestic containerized cargoes accounted for 1.909 million TEUs, up 17.53% from 1.624 million TEUs in 2010.
Growing at a slower pace of 4.52% were foreign containerized cargoes which reached 2.986 million TEUs compared to 2.857 million TEUs. Of these, import containers represented 1.499 million TEUs, an improvement of 3.9% for the 2010 figure of 1.443 million TEUs
Export containers totaled 1.487 million TEUs or a 5.15% increase from 1.414 million TEUs.
North Harbor outranked all ports in the handling of domestic containerized volume. In the foreign sector, the Manila International Container Terminal led the pack followed by South Harbor.
Shipcalls slipped 3% from 346,096 in 2010 to 335,580 in 2011. Domestic vessel calls declined 3.11% to 324,899 from 335,316 and foreign shipcalls dipped by 99 calls to 10,681 from 10,760.
Passenger volume continued going south, dropping 6.67% to 49.217 million in 2011 from 52.739 million in 2010. Domestic passengers reached 49.160 million vis-à-vis 2010’s 52.671 million and foreign passenger volume, 57,598 from 64,234.
| Cargo Traffic for January-December 2011 | ||||
| Jan-Dec | Inc/(Dec) | |||
| 2011 | 2010 | Volume | % | |
| Cargo (mmt) | 177,334,665 | 170,566,734 | 6,767,931 | 3.97 |
| Domestic | 74,859,259 | 73,980,241 | 879,016 | 1.19 |
| Foreign | 102,475,406 | 96,586,493 | 5,888,913 | 6.10 |
| Import | 53,437,973 | 55,118,313 | (1,680,340) | (3.05) |
| Export | 49,037,433 | 41,468,180 | 7,569,253 | 18.25 |
| Container (in TEUs) | 4,896,255 | 4,482,325 | 413,930 | 8.23 |
| Domestic | 1,909,300 | 1,624,550 | 284,750 | 17.53 |
| Foreign | 2,986,955 | 2,857,775 | 129,180 | 4.52 |
| Import | 1,499,821 | 1,443,511 | 56,310 | 3.90 |
| Export | 1,487,134 | 1,414,264 | (6,636) | 5.15 |
| Passenger (millions) | 49,217,828 | 52,739,164 | (3,518,336) | (6.67) |
| Domestic | 49,160,230 | 52,671,930 | (3,511,700) | (6.67) |
| Foreign | 57,598 | 64,234 | (6,636) | (10.33) |
| Shipcalls | 335,580 | 346,096 | (10,516) | (3.04) |
| Domestic | 324,899 | 335,316 | (10,417) | (3.11) |
| Foreign | 10,681 | 10,780 | (99) | (0.92) |
| Source: Philippine Ports Authority | ||||
