Port stakeholders can now register for the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS), a new electronic platform for booking containers installed at the two Manila international terminals that will go live on October 1.
According to the website www.1-stop.com.ph, registration is required to use TABS in booking drop-offs and pickups at the two terminals of the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and Manila South Harbor. Registration is one account per company.
To make a booking, the user must log in and choose if the container is for import or export then upload the container number. The user must then search for available bookings or “zones,” and has 15 minutes to select the zone for each container. Finally, the person must drag the container to the slot zone to finalize the booking.
Two user guides and contact details are provided online to help stakeholders become more familiar with the new system.
According to the website, TABS is a collaborative solution by the government and supply-chain stakeholders—in partnership with Australia’s 1-Stop Connections Pty Ltd. (1-Stop)—to prevent a repeat of the congestion in Manila in 2014 that arose from the truck ban and other road policies that were introduced by the local government.
1-Stop was chosen by port operators International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) and Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) to provide the system.
“With TABS in place at both the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) terminals, a more organized in- and out-flow of containerized cargoes from both terminals is expected for a more efficient and productive Philippine supply chain,” the website said.
The benefits to shippers of using the TABS are many, according to 1-Stop. These include the ability to plan for appropriate resources due to a predictable volume and schedule, reduced queues at the port since yard resources are sufficient to serve all trucks within their appointment window, a managed and consistent flow of trucks spread throughout a 24/7 period, a proactive alternative to counterproductive truck bans, access to real-time information on container status, and ability to check information anywhere on a mobile device via the app.
Photo courtesy of Asian Terminals Inc
