Urgency needed in addressing US 100%-scanning requirement - AFPI
THIS early, air cargo forwarders are batting
for the installation of security equipment in vital airports
to ensure compliance to an impending US scanning requirement.
“We want to have at least a guideline from the government
on how to comply with security requirements particularly the
all-scan security measure set to be implemented by the US
in 2012,” Aircargo Forwarders of the Philippines, Inc.
(AFPI) president Jaime Roxas told PortCalls at the sidelines
of the recent PortCalls Cargo Economics Conference.
Under the US policy, sea and air cargoes entering its territory
will require 100% scanning.
“We anticipate a very hard time for air cargo to enter
any US territory if the country would act only when the deadline
is near. So this early, we want to lay down the foundations
for compliance,” Roxas stressed.
Even if majority of the country’s foreign trade is shipped
via sea, the AFPI chief said ocean and air trade must be given
equal priority as failure of either one sector to comply will
negatively affect the country’s image with its trading
partners.
The country’s top 10 seaports are now equipped with
non-intrusive x-ray scanners. Two of the ten are also outfitted
with gamma ray scanners required under the US Megaport Initiative.
Airports, on the other hand, remain scanner-less. The Bureau
of Customs (BOC) is still working on a donation of two loose-cargo
scanners from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Only seaports are included in the 30-scanner grant under a
China soft loan agreement.
The BOC is looking at installing the loose-cargo scanners
at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Clark, Subic, Cebu,
Zamboanga and Davao.
Earlier, the BOC said the impending US security measure will
have minimal effects on outbound cargo.
The Asian Shippers’ Council is not as optimistic, saying
the new legislation could lead to a gridlock at ports and
airports. Asia, the biggest trading partner of the US, will
be the hardest hit with shippers bearing the brunt of increased
cost, the council said.
LUFTHANSA Technik Philippines (LTP) inaugurated
last week its $30-million hangar designed to accommodate wide-bodied
aircraft.
“The new hanger is a testament to Lufthansa Technik
AG’s strengthening partnership with MacroAsia Corp.
and commitment to its key customer, Philippine Airlines (PAL),”
August Wilhelm Henningsen, Board chair of Lufthansa Technik
AG said in a press briefing.
Located east of the existing four-bay hangar, the 8,526-square
meter one-bay hangar has an internal dimension that can fit
one Boeing 747-400/800, B777-300, A 340-600 or two A320 aircraft
at one time.
The internal clearances allow tail-in positioning of an aircraft
for optimum use of the new hangar.
“The success of the joint venture here in the Philippines
justified a decision made a decade ago to locate our Asian
subsidiary in Manila. Through our joint venture partnership
with MacroAsia Corp, Lufthansa Technik was able to successfully
win the market on Philippine soil,” Henningsen added.
“Our joint venture with Lufthansa Technik has been for
several years one of the main drivers for MacroAsia’s
growth. I am pleased that since LTP took over the maintenance
and engineering department of PAL, it has been a genuine partner
in helping the flag carrier in improving on-time performance
and aircraft utilization,” said Joseph Chua, Macro Asia
Corp. president for his part.
LTP has been providing total technical support to PAL’s
fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft since its foundation in
September 2000.
PPA speeds up buildup of cargo-handling equipment at Batangas
THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is accelerating
moves to equip Batangas Port with cargo-handling equipment
to increase traffic. This ensures the port will attract users
even if the Supreme Court (SC) takes time to decide on a pending
expropriation case, according to PPA general manager Atty.
Oscar Sevilla.
The SC earlier ordered PPA to pay lot owners displaced by
the Batangas port development project P11.3 billion, a decision
which the port agency is seeking to reverse.
For installation at the end of the year are mobile scanners,
two China-made quay cranes and four rubber-tired gantries.
Several security equipment such as close-circuit TVs and a
gate management system will also be installed.
“With all of these in place, we expect a surge in cargo
traffic at the port even if a court battle is ongoing,”
Sevilla said.
“We will put Batangas Port at the forefront by 2008.
We hope to get only about 10% or about four-million TEUs of
the total Asian containerized cargo traffic. With that share,
I think Batangas Port will be able to compete with the likes
of Taiwan,” he added.
He said PPA is ensuring rates at Batangas are at par or even
lower than other Asian transit hubs to be more competitive.
The PPA has deferred selection of the port’s new operator,
which is a toss-up between Asian Terminals, Inc and International
Container Terminal Services, Inc, pending resolution of the
expropriation case.
SBMA's shipyard-for-rent program ready for clients
SMALL- and medium-scale shipyard operators
should aggressively seek clients with larger newbuilding requirements
as the ‘shipyard-for-rent’ program of the Subic
Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now in operation.
Although full commercial operations are not expected until
next year, the shipyard operated by the US-owned Subic Dock
Corp already accepts repairs and construction of vessels up
to 20,000 gross tons.
“With the yard already operational, small- and medium-scale
shipyards may start marketing for larger and bigger vessels
without shelling out a huge amount of investment to increase
capacity of its existing yard,” said SBMA seaport department
general manager Capt. Perfecto Pascual in an interview at
the sidelines of the recent PortCalls Cargo Economics Conference.
“This will really boost shipbuilding activities in the
country as small- and medium-scale shipyards can now compete
with the bigger ones,” he added.
The ‘shipyard-for-rent’ program was initiated
by the SBMA and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to
empower local shipbuilders.
All projects under the program get tax breaks and other incentives
from SBMA.
In the future, SBMA will also develop a 50-hectare property
for a shipbuilding facility, offering affordable rent.
In addition, SBMA will offer for short- and long-term rentals
the Synchrolift system, equipment that allows the raising
and lowering of vessels in and out of the water for drydocking.
Marina administrator Vicente Suazo, Jr said majority of local
shipyards have the capability to build bigger ships but are
held back by lack of shipyard space.
Earlier, the Metro Manila Shipyard Association, Inc expressed
interest in Subic Bay as site of its expansion, noting that
the repair and shipbuilding facilities operated by its members
along the Navotas-Malabon river system can no longer accommodate
future operations.
Mindanao shippers seek faster expansion for three ports
THE Mindanao Federation of Shippers Association
(Minfesa) is asking the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to
fast track the expansion of three major Mindanao ports to
ease cargo-handling problems in the area.
Minfesa said the expansion of the ports of Davao, General
Santos and Zamboanga, which began under the Estrada administration,
has slowed down in the past several years.
The three ports are part of the 10 being groomed by the PPA
to be at par with world standards by 2010.
Minfesa said current cargo-handling facilities and the ports’
shallow waters are not enough to accommodate increasing traffic
and prevent carriers from using larger vessels.
“The expansion of the three ports is overdue. The decision
of the PPA to finance the project through its available budget
has aggravated the delay,” Minfesa in a document provided
to PortCalls said.
According to Minfesa, the Davao and General Santos ports each
need a dedicated domestic container terminal with a 200-meter
(m) berth and one quayside crane and a dedicated international
container terminal with 250m berth. For international operations,
two quayside cranes are required by Davao, and one each for
General Santos and Zamboanga. Zamboanga also needs a 200m
berth, the federation said.
“The PPA should at least allot a third of its budget
to these Mindanao ports or include it in any available ODA
(official development assistance) program or any ADB (Asian
Development Bank)-assisted intermodal project to facilitate
its completion and provide the ports enough cargo-handling
equipment to ease inefficiencies in the ports,” it added.
The expansion of the three ports was originally part of the
Philippine Port Development Package to be financed by the
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
The project cost for Davao is $66 million; General Santos,
$85.14 million; and Zamboanga, $58.82 million.
However, the issue of cargo handling has caused a deadlock
between JBIC and PPA. The expansion program was eventually
dropped from the assistance package.
Different focus altogether
PPA committed to fund the expansion but nothing substantial
has come of it because the port agency’s resources are
focused on the Batangas port expansion.
Only the Port of Zamboanga has seen some development, with
a 122-linear meter berth completed earlier this year, 100%
more than what it previously had.
Ongoing PPA projects which started February this year are
as follows: Port of Zamboanga, 149-linear meter berth extension
with back-up area (worth P382 million); Port of Davao, 120-linear
meter berth extension with back-up area (P452.3 million);
and Port of General Santos, 111-linear meter berth extension
with back-up area (P451.2 million).
The projects are for completion within the first quarter of
2009.
The Port of Davao anticipates a 5% increase in cargo throughput
starting this year until 2010. Davao has consistently posted
a throughput growth of about 8% since 2000, except in 2001
and 2006.
Zamboanga is also projecting throughput to jump 5% starting
this year until 2010.
General Santos eyes even more at 6%.
