The port operator in Manila South Harbor and Batangas Container Terminal is hopeful of a recovery mid-March after a sluggish February triggered by a regional holiday and the disruption of the coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19).
In a statement, Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) said Manila South Harbor has experienced signs of improvement compared to the latter part of February with vessel calls, especially those from Chinese ports, starting to pick up.
Inbound and outbound container flows have likewise sped up pace, with more container inventories recorded at the terminal, ATI said.
The same positive improvement trend has been observed in Batangas port.
The port operator noted ports in China have also resumed operations, which is consistent with the pattern observed in ATI, coming off a sluggish start after the Chinese New Year, traditionally a lean season for global trade.
ATI hopes the cargo uptrend continues. It also underscored that both its international gateway terminals in Manila and Batangas are business as usual, with contingency measures in place to ensure unimpeded cargo flow and the safety of its stakeholders
In 2019, ATI revenues rose 8.6 percent to P13.3 billion from P12.3 billion in 2018 driven by higher international containerized cargoes handled by its gateway ports in Manila and Batangas.
Net income reached P3.7 billion in 2019, 28.9 percent higher than P2.9 billion in 2018.
ATI also reported a double- digit cargo growth in Manila and Batangas port which handled a consolidated container volume of 1.61 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) — the highest thus far for the listed port operator.
International boxed cargoes in Manila South Harbor reached 1.3 million TEUs, over 10 percent higher than 2018 figures.
Batangas Container Terminal, meanwhile, sustained its strong volume growth as it officially broke through the 300,000-TEU mark in 2019, finishing the year with over 311,000 TEUs for a volume increase of over 25 percent compared to 2018.
Manila and Batangas ports have effectively supported government’s drive for inclusive growth within and outside Metro Manila by continuously opening direct market connectivity and delivering competitive port services to shippers based in the country’s National Capital Region and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).
Batangas Port, in particularly, has contributed in decongesting Metro Manila roads. Last year’s cargo volume meant taking out over 150,000 truck trips along metro roads, with more Calabarzon shippers preferring to route consignments viaBatangas.
