As it celebrates its 40th year, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is targeting a 10% increase in cargo volume and a 10.47% hike in vessel calls for 2014 after the agency surpassed its targets in 2013.
PPA’s new volume target is 220 million metric tons (mmt) from 200 mmt in 2013.
Projected total throughput is divided among its port districts, with the bulk of 81 mmt expected to come from Manila and Northern Luzon. The next biggest contributor will be Northern Mindanao with a goal of 55 mmt, followed by Southern Luzon with 35 mmt, Visayas with 28 mmt and Southern Mindanao with 21 mmt.
In the next two years, the PPA is targeting cargo volumes of 237 mmt for 2015 and 256 mmt for 2016.
The port authority is also aiming for higher vessel calls after 347,062 ships docked at the country’s ports in 2013. For 2014, PPA has set a target of 383,404 ship calls.
Of the total, 149,210 vessels are expected to call at Visayas ports, and 101,626 vessels at South Luzon ports. A goal of 65,251 vessel calls is set for Northern Mindanao and 45,246 ship calls for Southern Mindanao. The target for Manila and North Luzon is 22,071.
By 2015, the PPA hopes to handle 22,225 vessels, and by 2016, 22,397.
The authority also set a 2% increase in passenger volume from 52 million in 2013 to 53 million in 2014. A hike of 4% is eyed for 2015 with 55 million passengers, and an increment of 5% to 58 million passengers in 2016.
In the first quarter of 2014, PPA ports handled 44.952 mmt of cargoes, a spike of 4.68% from the 42.942 mmt processed in the same period a year earlier.
Container traffic also expanded, with 1.3 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) recorded from January to March, 4.52% higher than the 1.24 million TEUs posted in the first quarter of 2013.
Passenger volume, however, declined 1.71% in the first three months year-on-year to 12.392 million from 12.607 million.
Along with cargo traffic increase, the PPA recorded growth of 48.63% in net income to P1.629 billion from P1.096 billion in the first quarter of 2013.
During the first three months of the year, the agency also completed 12 major infrastructure projects worth P526.83 million, providing an additional 18,814 square meters of port backup area and 703 more passenger seats.
It completed five pre-construction technical and economic studies and three hydro-topo surveys in the first three months of the year.
Meanwhile, PPA has indicated a need to invest in roads linking the Manila port to the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressways connector road/Harbor Link connector road being constructed, according to Hector Miole, PPA assistant general manager for special projects.
The PPA relayed the need for the linkup in a roadmap it submitted to the Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of Public Works and Highways, and National Economic and Development Authority.
“It’s an infra plan for the whole government to consider, in view of logistics and supply chain inefficiencies spawned by Manila’s traffic congestion and unbridled growth,” Miole told PortCalls. – Roumina Pablo
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