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International Container Terminal Services, Inc. officially broke ground on its newest berth for its flagship, Manila International Container Terminal
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To be constructed in phases, Berth 8 will enable MICT to service foreign ultra container vessels of up to 18,000 TEUs
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Once Berth is completed, MICT will have an annual capacity of 3.5 million TEUs, making the terminal the Philippines’ largest international gateway
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Along with equipment, Berth 8 is estimated to cost P15 billion
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) officially broke ground for the construction of a new berth for its flagship, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), on May 29.
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista, Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Daniel Santiago, and ICTSI executive vice president Christian R. Gonzalez led the groundbreaking.
To be constructed in phases, Berth 8 will enable MICT to service foreign ultra container vessels of up to 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), ICTSI said in a statement. Last March, ICTSI said development of the new berth was already under design.
Berth 8 will create another 400 meters of quay along with 12 hectares of yard space that will bring an additional annual capacity of 200,000 TEUs to MICT.
Once complete, MICT will have an annual capacity of 3.5 million TEUs, making the terminal the Philippines’ largest international gateway.
The full build will give MICT a total berth length of 2,300 meters, a 21% increase in berthing capacity.
ICTSI noted that the construction of Berth 8 is beyond its contractual commitments to the government.
“We are excited to announce the development of Berth 8, which enables us to be in the same league as the world’s top terminals. More importantly, this will bring significant economic benefits to the Philippines as we have the added capacity to handle growing trade volumes,” Gonzalez said.
Along with equipment, Berth 8 is estimated to cost P15 billion. MICT is currently capable of handling neo-Panamax ships through berths 6 and 7, which are operated by five quay cranes. A sixth crane is scheduled to arrive in July 2023 and will be operational within the year. Berth 8 will operate with a minimum of four quay cranes–two of which will be delivered in 2025.
In a separate statement, Bautista said the Department of Transportation fully supports the construction of Berth 8 and is already coordinating with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to relocate the informal settler families (ISFs) that will be affected by the construction of access roads going to the new berth.
“We had some discussions with the DHSUD in moving the [affected] ISFs because we also have projects that require the settlement of ISFs,” Bautista said.
“We have offered to them [DHSUD], where they can build housing for the ISFs,” he added.
Since taking over the MICT in 1988, ICTSI said it has remitted in excess of P96 billion to the government through the PPA.
Over the same period, ICTSI has remitted to its host government–the City of Manila–over P3 billion in taxes.
The company has also invested in excess of P40 billion to modernize MICT, handling over 47 million TEUs since 1988.
Aside from the construction of Berth 8, ICTSI has commenced the modernization of Berths 1 to 5 and their backup and yard areas. The project includes the installation of additional reefer racks to accommodate approximately 300 TEUs of reefer cargo.
Aside from infrastructure developments, ICTSI said it continues to invest in technology to make MICT’s operations more efficient.
ICTSI launched a mobile application last year that grants port users visibility over their cargo. The ICTSI App enables customers to monitor the status of their shipment across ICTSI’s network of terminals in the Philippines, which include MICT, NorthPort, Subic Bay International Terminals, and Mindanao Container Terminal. Other ICTSI terminals in the country will soon be covered by the app.
ICTSI also recently partnered with Intelligent E-Processes Technologies Corp., the subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation that manages Autosweep RFID, to enable a faster gate process for trucks. The partnership will enable radio frequency identification scanners at the terminal gates to read Autosweep tags and match the trucks’ plate numbers, resulting in faster gate access and process.
