THE joint administrative order (JAO) setting the guidelines on the immediate withdrawal of cargoes containing food, medicines and personal protective equipment (PPEs) will soon be issued to declog Manila ports, according to Ramon Lopez, secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
In a statement, Lopez said the JAO to be signed soon by the Philippine Ports Authority, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Department of Finance, Department of Agriculture, and DTI will remain in effect until the state of public health emergency is lifted, subject to changes as may be instructed by the Office of the President.
Lopez said the BOC and the shipping lines have committed to process the documents of cargoes at the soonest possible time even with skeleton staffing and limited operations.
The JAO, Lopez said, provides that all overstaying cargoes that remain beyond 30 days from discharge are required to be withdrawn within five days from the effectivity date of the administrative order. Otherwise, cargoes will be considered abandoned.
Lopez said priority processing shall also be given to arriving cargoes, particularly food, medicine, medical and basic necessities. Containers scheduled to arrive after the issuance of the JAO must be withdrawn within 10 days from discharge. Otherwise, they shall also be declared abandoned.
He said appropriate penalties shall be imposed by the PPA to ensure that consignees and importers withdraw the cargo within the window provided.
All refrigerated containers must be pulled out within seven days, except chilled cargoes which are given five days from the issuance of the JAO. Unclaimed reefers are granted a three-day grace period, and after which are declared as abandoned goods.
“This is very important because port congestion creates disruptions in our supply chain. It will hinder the flow of goods and cause delays in the delivery of cargo, which will then affect the prices of goods in the market. It creates a domino effect. We also need to free up space in our container yards to accommodate the arrival of cargoes containing food items, medicines, and protective equipment for our front liners,” Lopez said.
At present, the yard utilization at the Manila international ports, composed of the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and the Manila South Harbor, are almost at maximum capacity due to the idle movement of cleared cargoes containing perishables such as food, medicines, and other essentials following the ECQ.
The PPA has temporarily authorized the immediate and accelerated transfer of all overstaying foreign containers cleared for delivery or withdrawal to maintain the efficiency and productivity of the MICT.
One-Stop Shop
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said it is working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), BOC, and other agencies to streamline the processes and procedures of importing of much needed medical supplies.
One such measure is the establishment of a One-Stop Shop that will handle processing to be located at the South Harbor and at the NAIA cargo terminal.
ARTA said it will also look at eliminating repetitive or inefficient regulations.
ARTA encourages the use of the online application sysem of the FDA for licences to operate.
