Yard utilization at Manila South Harbor has further declined to 60% as of March 15 while withdrawal of laden containers has increased by 14% as multisectoral efforts to expedite cargo flow have delivered positive results, according to port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI).
“Yard utilization is currently at an optimum 60% from high 90s in February, brought about by the synergy of our shipping line partners, port authorities and stakeholders,” ATI senior vice president Sean Perez said on the sidelines of the signing on March 15 of the manifesto of support for the efficient utilization of Philippine ports.
He added that as of March 15, port production has peaked to 32 gross moves per crane per hour (gmph), from the average of 25 gmph, reflecting the port’s operational efficiency. Gmph is a measure of how many boxes cranes can move from ship to shore in an hour.
In mid-February, ATI and several international shipping lines agreed to share vessels and optimize terminal resources in a bid to immediately evacuate through Manila South Harbor the empty containers from Manila and surrounding areas.
Last week alone, CMA CGM Group, T.S. Lines, Evergreen Marine, Yang Ming, Wan Hai Lines and Hyundai Merchant Marine loaded out over 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) for recirculation to other Asian destinations, a figure higher than their committed weekly load-out of 10,000 TEUs.
The withdrawal of laden containers from Manila South Harbor has also increased by 13%, following a Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) directive on March 1 to importers and consignee to withdraw their Customs-cleared containers from Manila ports.
Last March 8, Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero announced that Manila South Harbor and Manila International Container Terminal were no longer congested, having hit ideal utilization levels.
This came after several months of high utilization due to a confluence of events: bad weather that has delayed some vessels and led to berthing issues; high yard utilization at container terminals due to the peak season; limited capacity of offdock container depots; and trade imbalance (three laden containers coming in against one laden container for export leading to more empty containers in the country at any given time)—all of which caused a knock-on effect on the supply chain.
To sustain port efficiency, ATI earlier announced it was developing more container yard facilities outside Manila port, including a new five-hectare yard facility expected to be operational by the second quarter. Expansion programs are also in full swing in Manila South Harbor in support of future cargo growth.
ATI has likewise expanded the role of its Sta. Mesa container yard to accommodate cleared overstaying laden boxes, in accordance with the recent directives of PPA.
Meanwhile, expansion works at Batangas Container Terminal (BCT), which now has four quay cranes, eight rubber-tired gantry cranes and additional mobile handling equipment, will be fully completed by end-April, bringing the port’s handling capacity to over 450,000 TEUs annually. Last year, BCT handled nearly 250,000 TEUs, up by 25% from the previous year.
