
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has approved a 9.6% upward adjustment in the cargo-handling tariff at the Port of Basco, Batanes, with the new tariff to take effect on October 6.
The increase was pursuant to PPA Board Resolution No. 2809 dated June 27, 2019, according to PPA Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 05-2019 dated August 29. The MC implementing the upward adjustment was published in a newspaper of general circulation on September 6.
Basco Port handled 118,386 metric tons (MT) of domestic cargo in 2018, or 5.6% less than the 125,414 MT handled in 2017. For the first half of 2019, the port handled 63,471 MT, 1% down from 64,111 MT in the same period last year.
The port is serviced by Batanes Merchants Services Cooperative, which in 2016 renewed its contract with PPA for five more years until 2021.