STRONG exports propelled the Philippines’ cargo volume to grow 12.45% to 125.699 million metric tons (mmt) from January to September this year from 11.696 mmt year on year (see table), latest data from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) showed.
Export volume for the nine-month period soared 32.66% to 30.219 mmt from 22.779 mmt last year. Import cargo also rose although not as fast, to 41.069 mmt from 36.291 mmt, a 13.17% improvement.
Domestic cargo reached 54.310 mmt, slightly higher than the 52.624 mmt posted in January to September last year while foreign cargoes grew almost 20.68% to 71.289 mmt from 59.071 mmt.
| Cargo Traffic for January-September 2010 | ||||
| Jan-Sept | Inc/(Dec) | |||
| 2010 | 2009 | Volume | % | |
| Cargo (mmt) | Â 125,599,282 | Â 111,696,447 | Â Â Â 13,902,835 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12.45 |
|     Domestic |    54,310,207 |    52,624,926 |     1,685,281 |             3.20 |
| Â Â Â Â Foreign | Â Â Â 71,289,075 | Â Â Â 59,071,521 | Â Â Â 12,217,554 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 20.68 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Import | Â Â Â 41,069,922 | Â Â Â 36,291,645 | Â Â Â Â 4,778,277 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 13.17 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Export | Â Â Â 30,219,153 | Â Â Â 22,779,876 | Â Â Â Â 7,439,277 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 32.66 |
| Container (in TEUs) | 3,357,179 | 2,880,553 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 476,626 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16.55 |
| Â Â Â Â Domestic | 1,243,650 | 1,151,118 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 92,532 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8.04 |
| Â Â Â Â Foreign | 2,113,529 | 1,729,435 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 384,094 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 22.21 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Import | 1,058,167 | 872,796 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 185,371 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 21.24 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Export | 1,055,362 | 856,639 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 198,723 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 23.20 |
| Passenger (millions) | Â Â Â 38,016,532 | 32,620,088 | Â Â Â Â 5,396,444 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16.54 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Domestic | 37,989,121 | 32,586,216 | Â Â Â Â 5,402,905 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16.58 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Foreign | 27,411 | 33,872 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (6,461) | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (19.07) |
| Shipcalls | 257,483 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 232,701 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24,782 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10.65 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Domestic | 249,464 | 225,410 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24,054 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10.67 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Foreign | 8,019 | 7,291 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 728 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9.98 |
| Source: Philippine Ports Authority | ||||
Government ports handled 43.83% or 55.06 mmt of the total throughput while South Harbor and the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) processed 6.49 mmt and 13.76 mmt, respectively. Private facilities handled 70.54 mmt or 56.17% of the total and other government ports, the rest (34.80 mmt).
Significant increases in volume were recorded in almost all ports, particularly in Zamboanga, San Fernando, Surigao, Tacloban, Calapan, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Ozamiz and MICT.
Containerized cargo for the nine-month period reached 3.357 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 16.55% from last year’s 2.88 million TEUs.
Foreign container volume jumped 22.21% from 1.729 million TEUs to 2.113 million TEUs while domestic container traffic also increased 8.04% from 1.151 million TEUs to 1.243 million TEUs.
Total passenger traffic for the period in review reached 38.02 million or 16.54% higher than the figure posted last year. PPA attributed the rise to calls by Supercraft-25 of Supercat Fast Ferry Corp at the Port of Orion starting April this year.
The increase in passenger traffic was almost negated by the slow performance of South Harbor, Puerto Princesa and Cotabato ports, likely due to peace and order threats that have translated to lesser tourist arrivals.
Shipcalls, meanwhile, went up 10.65% from 232,701 in 2009 to 257,483 this year. Domestic and foreign vessel calls improved 10.67% and 9.99%, respectively.
Ports with the most number of shipcalls from January to September were Batangas, Dumaguete, Legazpi, Tagbilaran and Calapan.
While fewer, the vessels that called at MICT were actually bigger in size and laden with cargo than last year. This led to a surge in volume at the port despite the moderate growth in shipcalls.
