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Congestion-free ports for Christmas assured by the Department of Transportation and its attached agency Philippine Ports Authority
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MICT 60%-70% yard utilization “no cause for alarm”
The Department of Transportation is promising congestion-free Manila ports especially this coming holiday season, owing to various initiatives at the terminals.
Transportation Undersecretary Elmer Francisco Sarmiento and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Officer in Charge-General Manager Francisquiel Mancile inspected the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and Manila North Harbor on August 19 to guarantee smooth flow of foreign containers as well as ensure healthy yard, berth and crane utilization rates in the run-up to Christmas.
In a statement, PPA quoted MICT management as saying “there is no cause for alarm despite a 60-70% yard utilization rate as box gate outs equal the number of boxes coming in.”
According to PPA, MICT is set to strengthen its position as the country’s premier port through initiatives that will expand capacity to 3.5 million twenty equivalent units (TEUs) from 3.3 million.
MICT operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc (ICTSI) earlier said it continues to expand capacity of MICT with ongoing development of Berth 8.
READ: ICTSI expanding MICT with Berth 8
The construction of the new berth, which will be done in two phases, will allow MICT to handle increasing volume demand and serve new-generation container ships that can carry up to 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), ICTSI said in March.
Berth 8 will add a total of 400 meters quay and up to 12 hectares of yard area in phases. Water alongside will be initially dredged to a depth of 13.5 meters with potential further deepening to 15 meters draft.
The full build, including Berths 6 and 7 and combined with the 1,300 meters of Berths 1-5, will give MICT a total berth length of 2,300 meters and expand its berthing and total capacities by 21% and 25%, respectively.
MICT officials also presented to transport officials another ICTSI company, the Cavite Gateway Terminal (CGT), the country’s first dedicated container barge terminal in Tanza, Cavite covering six hectares. Officials said CGT optimizes the sea lanes of Manila Bay while providing alternate means of transporting containers from the Port of Manila to the CALABARZON area and back, minimizing road congestion along the cargo truck route from North Harbor to Southern Luzon.
Launched in 2018, the terminal can handle 115,000 twenty-foot equivalent units annually.
Meanwhile, PPA said major improvements at the Manila North Harbor Port, Inc (MNHPI)-operated North Harbor Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) will guarantee passenger comfort and convenience. Pre-COVID, the PTB was handling an annual passenger traffic of more than 4.5 million. ICTSI also controls MNHPI.
ICTSI now owns 50% of domestic port operator Manila North Harbour
With Sarmiento and Mancile during the port visit were Port Management Office NCR-South Port Manager Eligio Fortajada, and PMO NCR North Port Manager Annie Lee Manese.
During the visit, Sarmiento reiterated President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista’s call for safe, convenient and world-class passenger travel and affordable port-related services.
