PHILIPPINE cargo throughput grew 5.3% to 97.96 million metric tons (mmt) in the first half of the year from 93.03 mmt in the same period last year, reflecting healthy volume growth in 16 port management offices (PMOs).
Of the total, domestic cargoes accounted for 40.78 mmt, an 8.18% improvement from 37.69 mmt a year earlier, newly released data from the Philippine Ports Authority showed.
Foreign cargo volume grew 3.34% to 57.18 mmt from 55.3 mmt.
Significant growth was seen in 16 PMOs with volumes at Tagbilaran improving 49.67%, Legazpi 46.32%, San Fernando 39.76%, Limay 35.55% and Ormoc 34.66%.
Growth was attributed to the rise in imports and exports, and the increase in domestic shipment of aggregates, minerals, fuel, coconut products, heavy equipment and construction materials.
From the aggregate 24 PMOs, Limay in Bataan posted the highest volume of cargoes at 11.09 mmt, or 11.32% of the total cargo throughput.
Private ports handled 58.5 mmt or 59.72% of the total cargo volume while government ports contributed 39.46 mmt or 40.28%.
Exports rose 5.36% to 28.54 mmt from 27.09 mmt in 2012, due to large-volume exports of minerals and coconut oil, fruits and fish. Imports, meanwhile, grew 1.41% to 28.64 mmt from 28.24 mmt a year earlier.
Among the baseports, Manila International Container Terminal, operated by International Container Terminal Services inc., topped the list with volume reaching 9.8 mmt or a 10% share of the total cargo volume.
North Harbor, operated by Manila North Harbour Port Inc., came in second with 6.73 mmt. Other baseports posted volumes less than 3 mmt but above 1 mmt. These include South Harbor, operated by Asian Terminals Inc.; Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and General Santos.
Containerized cargoes rose slightly in the first half of the year to 2.55 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), 0.31% higher than last year’s 2.54 million TEUs.
Domestic containerized cargoes eased 0.17% to 1.020 million TEUs from 1.022 million TEUs in January to June 2012.
Of the total domestic containerized cargoes, North Harbor contributed the biggest share of 445,140 TEUs.
Foreign containerized cargoes posted a modest 0.64% growth to 1.53 million TEUs from 1.52 million TEUs a year earlier.
MICT accounted for the most foreign containerized cargoes with 924,525 TEUs followed by South Harbor with 481,668 TEUs and Davao with 206,703 TEUs.
Shipcalls for the first half also grew 11.07% to 197,882 from 178,158 a year earlier.
Domestic shipcalls increased 11.44% to 192,655 from 172,882 while foreign shipcalls decreased 0.93% to 5,227 from 5,276.
More people also used ports in the country with passenger traffic increasing 3.64% to 28.49 million from 27.49 million in 2012. –– Roumina M. Pablo
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