RISING GLOBAL PRICES: Uninterrupted supply chain assured

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The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) yesterday assured the Manila ports’ efficient and uninterrupted operations amid rising commodity prices.

Elmer Francisco Sarmiento, Department of Transportation (DOTr) undersecretary for maritime, and Francisquiel Mancile, PPA officer-in-charge general manager, visited and inspected over the weekend the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and the Manila North Port to ensure efficient operations and uninterrupted supply chain activities at the local and global levels.

PPA said the visit was also an opportunity to seek assurance from the port operators in taming soaring commodity prices while securing safe, convenient, world-class and affordable port-related services in adherence to the marching order of the president and the DOTr secretary.

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With the continued reopening of the economy, MICT is set to strengthen its position as the country’s premier international port through capacity expansion from the current 3.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to 3.5 million TEUs.

The company also presented its Cavite Gateway Terminal (CGT) pioneering project located in Tanza, Cavite which offers alternative means of transporting containers through barges.

CGT encourages cargo businesses to take this alternative to minimize congestion along the cargo truck trade routes from North Harbor to areas south of Manila.

Likewise, major improvements at the North Port Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), managed by Manila North Harbour Port Inc., will be undertaken to guarantee comfort and convenience. The PTB is handling about 4.5 million passengers annually pre-COVID.

PPA is also bent on further improving its operation and expanding the port facilities.

In the first half of the year, PPA reported that total cargo throughput fell by 1.5 percent to 125.5 million metric tons (MMT) from 127.3 MMT in the same period last year. Export volume posted the most significant decrease of 14 percent dragging the total foreign cargo volume by 5.5 percent.

In terms of containerized cargo traffic, a 2.66 percent hike was recorded to reach 3.7 million TEUs, anchored on the 6.2 percent increase posted by imported boxed cargoes. Domestic box volume, meanwhile, declined by 1.8 percent to 1.41 million TEUs.

 

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