Philippine exporters were once again encouraged to use Batangas port, two hours south of the Philippine capital Manila, in order to lower costs and help decongest Manila ports.
Hector Miole, Port District Manager for Southern Luzon at Philippine Ports Authority, noted Batangas does not “impose a lot of documents and we are trying our best to computerize”.
Port charges were also slashed by half effective October 8, 2012. The discount applies for one year.
“We will also be linking with the National Single Window (NSW). We would like that project to take off as soon as possible,” Miole said during the recent National Export Congress.
The NSW is an electronic processing of trade documents through a single internet-based system.
“The PPA went on an aggressive development, we expanded many ports. We developed new ports in areas where there were no ports and where ships could not dock. In the last 10 years, we invested more than what is needed by the shipping and maritime industries to be able to ship their products and bring cargoes through our ports,” Miole noted.
For his part, Guillermo Luz, National Competitiveness Council Private Sector Co-Chairman, said the Council has proposed the active use of Batangas port to PPA.
At the same export congress, Luz stressed the need to improve access to the port and to lower rates relative to Manila ports to entice more port users.
He said the port’s access road in terms of length and smoothness should follow international standards. “That’s important for certain types of cargoes. There is an international standard for that,” he noted.
Luz believed the overall traffic situation and productivity in Metro Manila and southern Luzon will improve with the use of Batangas port.
“If we can open up alternative ports of Subic and Batangas in Luzon then, that would be helpful. (But) that does not answer all your problems all over the country,” he said in the same event.
Photo courtesy of Asian Terminals, Inc
