Cargo utilization at the Philippines’ two main gateways—Manila International Container Terminal and Manila South Harbor— as of December 19 remain healthy at 60%, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). This is equivalent to about 49,000 twenty-foot equivalent units inside the terminal ready to be withdrawn or exported.
Yard productivity at the two ports also remains high with an average of 20 to 25 crane moves an hour, the port agency said in a statement.
Cargo volume, on the other hand, is up by about 10% a month since the start of the third quarter due to the run-up to Christmas.
Both terminals attribute the robust yard utilization and productivity to the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS)—a web-based system that manages truck movements in and out of the two terminals—as well as the high storage penalty imposed by PPA on overstaying cargoes.
Keep ‘em moving
The PPA is asking cargo owners to actively keep their shipments moving despite ports remaining efficient and productive during the Christmas season.
PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago continues to urge cargo owners not to relax with their withdrawals and to continue taking advantage of TABS to ensure the smooth turnaround of foreign cargoes.
“Philippine ports, particularly our international gateways, will be in full commercial operations except for a couple of hours on Christmas and New Year’s Day because ships continue to come and go even during holidays,” Santiago explained.
“I am urging all cargo owners and other stakeholders to maintain their current operations in order to have a swift turnaround time for their cargoes and if possible send their exports bound for Chinese ports early to prevent any hold-up when celebrations for the Chinese New year kicks in,” Santiago said.
“The domestic ports are also replicating the procedures of the international ports in order to secure safe travel of passengers relative to Oplan Ligtas Biyahe: Christmas 2016 and at the same time guarantee just-in-time delivery of domestic goods,” Santiago added.
PPA has maintained a tight watch over domestic ports since the All Saints’ Day celebration to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of passengers while they are inside the terminals.
“I reiterated to our port personnel to take all the necessary measures to reduce any inconvenience and to make sure that our ports are safe at all times,” Santiago said.
PPA has likewise assured importers, exporters, and cargo owners that Philippine ports have enough capacity to deal with the coming Chinese New Year, wherein Chinese-owned firms shut down their operations for a couple of days to observe the festivities.
