MEMBERS of the Confederation of Truckers
Association of the Philippines (CTAP) are eyeing a 20%
increase in trucking rates this month, CTAP president
Rodolfo T. De Ocampo told PortCalls in a telephone interview.
"Our issues are still the same: the
escalating prices of diesel/fuel and spare parts. We
cannot keep up anymore," he said, adding the 20% proposal
came out of the CTAP board's preliminary meeting last
week.
CTAP members account for about a third
of the country's total trucking population. The 20%
increase supersedes the group's 25% rate hike proposed
in February specifically to cover North Luzon Expressway
toll fee adjustments. The new rate hike petition is
mainly due to the fuel price hike. De Ocampo said fuel
comprises 40% of a trucker's overhead. In less than
a year, the price of fuel per liter has gone up 46%,
he noted.
The Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners
and Organization (ACTOO), on the other hand, said it
will not jack up rates for now, saying the time is not
right. ACTOO chairman and president Ricardo Papa said
rates in the trucking business are dictated by the market.
"We cannot just increase rates because
everybody else does. This is not the time," he stressed,
noting truckers have been experiencing low volume of
deliveries in the last few years.
According to him, since the time of
then President Joseph Estrada, the trucking business
has been in decline, with deliveries now 40% lower.
"Given this situation, it is inappropriate to impose
higher rates," he said.
DATA transfer between the Philippine
Ports Authority (PPA) and terminal operators Asian Terminals,
Inc. (ATI) and International Container Terminal Services,
Inc. (ICTSI) will soon be done electronically.
The port agency and both operators
will sign tomorrow a memorandum of agreement (MOA) regarding
the Cargo Handling Operator (CHO)-Data Transfer requiring
all data of ATI and ICTSI be trans-ferred to the PPA
system electronically. This is part of PPA's Ma-nagement
and Information System (MIS) Computerization project,
said PPA assistant general manager for Special Projects
and Corporate Affairs Raul T. Santos. "The goal is to
create a common platform for users to access information,"
he said.
Among the information which will be
transferred on a daily basis are manifests, vessel movement,
invoices, cargo and port charges data. "PPA will have
a daily report of wharfage dues collec-ted and be updated
of vessel move-ment. In turn, port users can be assured
of on-time port statistics and financial reports," a
source noted. - MR Mesias
THE United States was the country's
largest airfreight partner last year, accounting for
57.94 million kilograms (kg) or 23.93% of total international
cargo traffic flow, according to the Civil Aeronautics
Board (CAB). In 2004, the country's international cargo
traffic flow totaled 242.08 million kg, 15.1% of which
were direct shipments, 58% consolidated shipments and
26.9%, breakbulk cargoes.
Preliminary data released by the agency
showed countries from the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) followed the US with 53.17 million
kg, accounting for 21.97% of the total international
air traffic market. The country's third-largest partner
was Japan with 32.23 million kg or 13.32% of air traffic
to and from the Philippines. Hong Kong and the rest
of Europe were in fourth and fifth places with 23 million
kg (9.51%) and 14.63 million kg (6.04%), respectively.
The top six and seven destinations
for Philippine air shipments were the rest of Asia and
Germany with 13.32 million kg (5.50%) and 10.50 million
kg (4.34%), respectively.
Also last year's top Philippine air
traffic import/export destinations were: Korea (7.24
million kg or 2.99%); Taiwan (6.22 million kg or 2.57%);
United Kingdom (3.17 million kg or 1.31%); Middle East
(2.39 million kg or 0.99%); Australia (2.24 million
kg or 0.93%); Italy (1.57 million kg or 0.65%); France
(1.50 million kg or 0.62%); Canada (1.15 million kg
or 0.48%); South America (222,952 million kg or 0.09%);
and Africa (153,883 million kg or 0.06%).
In terms of consolidated shipments,
CAB reported the US emerged as the country's biggest
import/export partner, accounting for 32.74% of the
entire market, followed by ASEAN countries (28.83%)
and Japan (11.73%). Hong Kong was the country's largest
direct air import/export shipment partner with 13.63
million kg or 37.19% market share, while Japan had the
highest breakbulk imports and exports with 11.98 million
kg or 18.42% of the total air breakbulk market. .
MARINA:
More effort should be placed on shipbuilding
THE Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)
is keen on developing the Philippines as a maritime
hub through the development of the shipbreaking, shipbuilding,
and drydocking industries, and the acquisition of vessels
and transshipment of cargoes rather than through regulation.
While being blessed with abundant resources perfect
for a lucrative shipping industry, the Philippines failed
to focus on developing its potentials, said MARINA administrator
Vicente T. Suazo, Jr. "The recognized tiger economies
of Asia have prospered over the years because they have
rightfully focused on these maritime potentials," Suazo
said. Taiwan is synonymous with shipbreaking; Japan,
the world's top shipbuilder, which was eventually displaced
by South Korea; and Singapore and Hong Kong, the present
maritime hubs of Asia in view of their booming cargo
transshipments. "The Philippines could have joined the
bandwagon and caught the boom, had we properly developed
our shipbuilding industry," Suazo pointed out. He said
that in the past, many foreign vessels used to come
to the Philippines for drydocking but were shunned by
substantial duties and bureaucratic red tape at the
Bureau of Customs.
Empowered by its vision to turn the
Philippines into Asia's next maritime hub, MARINA has
laid down plans for the country's maritime industry
according to specific mandates, which include promotional,
developmental and regulatory/supervisory activities.
Under its promotional mandate, the
maritime agency is focusing on the promotion of Philippine-flag
ships, development of new financing windows for shipping
and proposing maritime attaches in strategic international
ports.
The developmental mandate covers the
establishment of MARINA training centers, development
of certification process for competency of maritime
manpower, development of new routes/areas of operation,
conduct of a pre-feasibility study to identify potential
routes, development of mandatory ship retirement/replacement
program, improvement of shipyard capability to build
500 gross-registered tonnage ships and below and adoption
of electronic commerce.
Suazo said the regulatory/supervisory
activities would pave the way for the adjustment/rationalization
of safety standards according to ship type or size;
preparation of guidebook for enhanced enforcement and
monitoring procedures; codification of MARINA circulars,
maritime-related laws, rules and regulations; ratification
of maritime conventions; domestic shipping database
update; and enhancement of an overall maritime industry
database.
Suazo noted one viable strategy for
sea transport is cargo consolidation vis-à-vis designation
of suitable hub centers and ports. "As you know, carriers
look into moving cargoes as one economy in or out of
the ASEAN or the APEC Region through cargo consolidation,"
he said.
In the case of bulk grain shipments,
Suazo pointed out Mindanao is a potential hub, especially
ports in the northern part. The Asian Development Bank
of the Philippines is currently conducting a study on
the prioritization of strategic directions on the shipment
of corn to Borneo and fertilizer from Bintulu as backload.
Meanwhile, an ideal container transshipment
hub would be the port of Makar in General Santos, especially
with the opening of the direct containerized services
to and from Bintung. "Exports from East Asia will utilize
this route instead of going down to Surabaya via Jakarta
to Singapore then Kaoshioung for the US West Coast,"
Suazo said.
He noted shipping costs may be reduced
by as much as 50% using the same route for imports from
the US West Coast destined for Sulawesi, Maluku, Irian
Jaya and up to the Lesser Sundra Islands. .
THE June opening of the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 may not materialize due to
unresolved technical issues.
According to Manila International Airport Authority
(MIAA) general manager Alfonso Cusi, there are still
some 42 outstanding items that need to be addressed
before the terminal commences operations.
He, however, assured that the opening of the 182,5000-square
meter international terminal facility will not be later
than this year. In an interview, Cusi said MIAA is still
negotiating with NAIA Terminal 3's private contractor
Takenaka Corp. for the final blueprint of the terminal.
"We have given them up to the end of this month to submit
to us the final findings," he said.
He added they are also working to identify all the
defects and technical issues, particularly those pertaining
to structural integrity and security of the terminal.
At present, 90% of all infrastructure projects outside
the terminal are complete, including access roads and
water system. A number of airlines have already expressed
interest to move to the new terminal.
"As long as we have the blueprint, we can start issuing
the lease agreement," Cusi explained.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) country
manager Evelyn Del Rosario said most airlines want to
transfer to the new terminal as soon as possible. IATA
is also closely working with MIAA to keep the commercial
opening of the terminal close to the original target.
NAIA Terminal 3 has been closed for two years since
December 2002 and was not inspected by the government
until its expropriation December 21, 2004. Cusi said
the opening of the world-class terminal will relieve
the congested NAIA Terminals 1 and 2. Terminal 3 was
designed to accommodate up to 13 million travelers annually.
Terminals 1 and 2 can only handle each year 4.5 million
and 2.5 million passengers, respectively.
NAIA Terminal 3 also boasts of 20 contact and eight
remote stands, 140 check-in counters on five islands,
nine baggage carousels, 120 immigration counters (68
departure, 52 arrival) and 40 arrival customs counters.
THE Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)
is pushing for the development of 15 sea routes linking
the Philippines to the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines
East Asian Growth Area).
According to MARINA administrator Vicente
T. Suazo, Jr., there are substantial trade and tourism
opportunities for the country through these links, which
directly connects Mindanao and Palawan to the rest of
the region. These links, including the Zamboanga-Sandakan
route, are being served by Indonesian and Philippine-flagged
vessels.
The General Santos-Bintung link has a
direct containerized service offered by Indonesian-flagged
vessel M/V Rimba Tujuh. "The frequency of shipcall is
every ten days and is expected to increase in the near
future," Suazo said. Data from MARINA shows that from
1995 to 2000, there was an average growth of 18.6% for
inbound passenger and 24.6% for outbound passengers;
and 28.75% for inbound cargoes for 2002 and 2003.
Suazo said the maritime agency is active
in discussions of key maritime issues in multilateral
regional organizations to sustain the Philippine's active
stance. Incentives are also being extended through bilateral
arrangements, the most recent of which is the adoption
of a uniform port tariff by the Philippines and Indonesia.
BIMP-EAGA covers 16 focus areas such as
the entire Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam and the less
developed regions of Irian, Jaya, Maluku and all provinces
of Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia, the states
of Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Lubuan
in Malaysia and Minadanao and Palawan in the Philippines.
