THE Philippines' cargo throughput jumped 11.9% in the first eight months of the year, suggesting a rebound from effects of the global economic crisis.
Latest data from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) showed cargo volume grew from 99.63 million metric tons (mmt) to 111.52 mmt (see table). The increase is five percentage points more than 7% earlier forecast by PPA.
| Cargo Traffic for January-August 2010 | ||||
| Jan-Aug | Inc/(Dec) | |||
| 2010 | 2009 | Volume | % | |
| Cargo (mmt) | 111,523,589 | 99,632,768 | 11,890,821 | 11.93 |
| Domestic | 48,876,846 | 47,597,303 | 1,279,543 | 2.69 |
| Foreign | 36,958,244 | 32,192,598 | 10,611,278 | 14.80 |
| Import | 36,958,244 | 32,192,598 | 4,765,646 | 14.80 |
| Export | 25,688,499 | 19,842,867 | 5,845,632 | 29.46 |
| Container (in TEUs) | 3,001,327 | 2,544,573 | 456,754 | 17.95 |
| Domestic | 1,104,100 | 1,028,475 | 75,625 | 7.35 |
| Foreign | 1,897,227 | 1,516,098 | 381,129 | 25.14 |
| Import | 946,707 | 763,679 | 183,028 | 23.97 |
| Export | 950,520 | 752,419 | 198,101 | 26.33 |
| Passenger (millions) | 34,673,727 | 28,273,364 | 6,400,363 | 22.64 |
| Domestic | 34,648,360 | 28,241,596 | 6,406,764 | 22.69 |
| Foreign | 25,367 | 31,768 | (6,401) | (20.15) |
| Shipcalls | 231,747 | 209,790 | 21,957 | 10.47 |
| Domestic | 224,149 | 203,317 | 20,832 | 10.25 |
| Foreign | 7,598 | 6,473 | 1,125 | 17.38 |
| Source: Philippine Ports Authority | ||||
Foreign cargoes accounted for about 56% or 62.64 mmt of the total volume, and domestic cargoes, the rest or 48.87 mmt.
Government ports handled 44% of the total and private ports the balance, with Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and South Harbor cornering the bulk at 12.33 mmt 5.7 mmt, respectively.
"Overall, domestic cargoes improved by 2.69% and foreign cargoes by 20.39%," PPA said in a report.
Strong performance was recorded in the ports of San Fernando in La Union, Tacloban, Surigao, Iligan, Calapan, Iloilo, Zamboanga and MICT, negating sharp declines in volume at the South Harbor and the ports of Batangas, Pulupandan, Nasipit, and Cotabato.
Box cargo
Containerized cargoes grew 18.1% to 3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first eight months of the year from last year’s 2.54 million TEUs.
Foreign container traffic improved 25%, and local containerized traffic, 7%.
Together, MICT and the South Harbor handled 60% or 1.73 million TEUs; government-owned ports accounted for the rest.
Ship calls improved 10.5% to 231,747 vessels during the period from last year's 209,790.
Passenger traffic, meanwhile, rose 22% to 34.67 million, helped in part by Supercat Fast Ferry's resumption of passenger operations to Limay Port, Bataan.
South Harbor and the ports of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Nasipit, Cotabato, Davao and General Santos saw declines in passenger numbers.
