The Manila South Harbor posted a record in container units handled in September, as port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) assured the hub can handle higher international volumes, including the fourth-quarter cargo rush associated with the holiday season.
One of two international maritime gateways into the Philippine capital, Manila South Harbor processed in September more than 100,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of international containers for the first time in a single month, breaking two records this year, when it handled over 94,000 TEUs in May and 95,000 TEUs in June.
ATI said in a statement that Manila South Harbor’s production has shown no signs of slowdown, averaging above the industry standard of 25 gross moves per crane per hour (GMPH), and even recording world-class levels of over 30 GMPH in previous months, comparable to those of ports in Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Production is measured by how many containers a crane moves from ship to shore per hour. Higher GMPH reflects efficient handling of containers at berth, which redounds to faster turnaround of ships and trucks, and ultimately quicker delivery of goods to consignees.
Benefit of TABS
ATI partly attributes these achievements to the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS), an online scheduling facility for the orderly delivery and pullout of containers at the terminal. TABS was launched October last year.
Since TABS was implemented, ATI said Manila South Harbor has seen an over 25% increase in truck transactions from a daily average of 1,600 for a faster turnaround time. ATI noted that more transactions in the same fixed timeframe means an equivalent reduction in truck numbers on the road at any single time to keep the supply chain going.
This, the port operator pointed out, “makes a welcome contribution to Metro Manila’s road decongestion.”
Moreover, ATI said its aggressive investment has delivered greater capacity and efficiency at Manila South Harbor.
In 2015 alone, ATI increased its rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes to 23 units, equivalent to a 50% increase in fleet size since 2013, to complement its nine quay cranes (QCs). It also appended its container side loaders to increase its fleet size by 50%.
Next year, ATI will take delivery of two brand-new QCs and other operations-critical cargo handling equipment—alongside the completion of additional container yards, process improvement, and technological advancement—that will further ensure higher capacity and efficiency at the Port of Manila in line with future market growth.
