Last week’s monsoon rains that flooded 80% of Metro Manila in the Philippines as well as nearby provinces have taken its toll on the logistics sector, especially the trucking industry.
According to the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP), operations of its member truckers have been abnormal since August 6, exacerbated by poor conditions brought about by heavy monsoon rains from August 5 to 8.
“Even if port operations resumed Thursday, we still could not work normally due to poor road conditions,” CTAP president Ruperto Bayocot told PortCalls.
Last week’s monsoon rains left most of Metro Manila under water, paralyzing practically all modes of land transportation. As of press time last Friday, flood waters have yet to fully subside in some sections of Manila, home to the country’s two main international ports. In areas where water has subsided, huge potholes have taken their place.
Bayocot said he cannot yet estimate the damage floods inflicted on truckers’ revenues due to subsequent delays in the turnaround time.
“We hope government can finish road repairs the soonest time possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, operations at Asian Terminals, Inc and International Container Terminal Services, Inc were unhampered last week despite the inclement weather.
There was some delay in cargo clearance but this started right before the flooding when the Bureau of Customs’ electronic-to-mobile (e2m) system bogged down due to an expired license. The one-day snafu caused a reversion to manual lodgment of import and export entries.
“There were problems in e2m due to manifest lodgment and PASS 5 (automated payment system) last week but not really due to floods,” InterCommerce Network Services president Francis Lopez told PortCalls.
“The backlog now is due to withdrawal of cargo from ports,” he added.
Flooded Farm by khuruzero
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
