AFTER North Harbor and Batangas ports, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is setting its sights on the development of Davao port, the country’s second biggest container port and Mindanao’s largest.
PPA general manager Atty. Oscar Sevilla said a number of international shipping lines are set to call Davao port, underlining the need to improve the facility.
At the moment, cargo-handling operations in Davao are contracted to a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. The burden of port development remains with the PPA.
“After Batangas port, which we expect to privatize before the end of the year, we will be giving Davao port top priority in our port development,” Sevilla said.
“With additional shipping lines set to come in the next couple of weeks led by NYK, we have to improve the facilities of the port to accommodate additional traffic from these carriers.”
Sevilla said Davao port is ripe for a “makeover”, said Sevilla.
Cargo throughput in Davao is expected to increase 5% to 3.233 million metric tons (mmt) this year and to 3.708 mmt by 2010.
For the next three years, conventional cargo is seen growing about 25,000 metric tons from this year to 2010 while container cargo will increase annually by 12,000 TEUs from 258,104 in 2008 to 309,792 by 2010.
The bulk of cargo will come from the domestic trade, projected to rise to 121,348 metric tons by 2010 from 101,101 metric tons last year.
For the same period, foreign cargo is expected to increase by 4,000 metric tons annually.
Since 2000, Davao has consistently posted cargo throughput growth of about 8% except in 2001 and 2008 when it registered a 3% drop.
