After handling record cargo volumes at its gateway ports in Manila and Batangas, port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) has posted a net income of P2.5 billion in 2017, which is 30.7% higher than the P1.9 billion earned in 2016.
In a disclosure to the Philippine bourse, ATI said revenues in 2017 went up 14.6% to P10.6 billion from P9.2 billion in 2016 on account of higher volumes of containerized cargoes and a favorable cargo mix in the non-containerized segment.
ATI’s international ports in Manila and Batangas handled a combined container cargo throughput of over 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2017, which the port operator said reflected the robust growth of the Philippine economy last year.
International boxed cargoes handled at Manila South Harbor in 2017 reached over 1.1 million TEUs, an increase of nearly 6% from 2016. The rapidly growing Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) handled almost 200,000 TEUs, an increase of over 25% compared to the previous year.
ATI said BCT has been supporting the government’s drive for inclusive growth beyond Metro Manila by continuously opening up direct market connectivity and delivering competitive port services to shippers based in Southern Luzon.
Batangas Port, on the other hand, “has contributed to decongesting Metro Manila roads,” according to the port operator. Last year’s cargo volume in Batangas led to over 100,000 truck trips being removed from metro roads, as more Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) shippers preferred to route consignments through BCT, it added.
ATI said its record volume in 2017 was also achieved through continuous process improvement, investment in equipment and facilities, and focus on innovation, while constantly promoting a safe industrial environment for port stakeholders.
