The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is optimistic about achieving its P26.08 billion revenue target this year, driven by higher service and business income.
“For the calendar year 2024, the PPA has set a target revenue of P26.08 billion, and as of Sept, 30, 2024 data, the agency remains optimistic it will achieve this goal by yearend,” Jay Santiago, PPA general manager, told Malaya Business Insight in a Viber message.
As of the end of September, PPA generated total revenues of P20.06 billion, 6.67 percent higher than in the same period last year,
PPA attributed this to higher service and business income as well as from other sources such as regulatory income.
PPA expects cargo throughput to grow by 5.79 percent to 288.23 million metric tons (MT) by year-end, from 272.5 million MT recorded in 2023, said Santiago.
PPA data showed the country’s cargo volume increased by 7.3 percent nine months into the year to 218.28 million MT from 203.5 million MT a year ago, driven by the 8 percent and 5.8 percent growth in foreign and domestic cargo, respectively.
Container traffic volume rose by 3.5 percent to 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in January to September, from 5.53 million TEUs in the same period last year.
As of September, passenger traffic also improved by 10 percent to 60.5 million, from 54.8 million passengers in the same period last year.
In a related development, PPA reported 1.1 million kilos of ocean waste collected since 2016 up to the first half of 2024, with a record of more or less 100,000 kg of ocean waste collected every year through consistent port and coastal cleanup activities.
According to its latest data, the total waste collected in all PPA-governed ports nationwide has declined from 138,173 kg in 2016 to 45,321 kg in the first half of 2024.
Waste collection dropped dramatically from 289,628 kg in 2018 to 77,860 kg in 2023, PPA said, reflecting its effective waste management and environmental initiatives.
PPA said it remains committed to engaging local communities in environmental protection through its annual port community cleanup and international coastal cleanup events in June to September, coinciding with Seafarer’s Month and National Maritime Week, which serve as platforms for raising awareness about waste management and promoting cleaner, greener ports and coastlines.
“Since we started our quest to improve port infrastructure in 2016 when I assumed, we always take into great consideration the effects of development on the environment and communities surrounding the ports. My directive to the port management offices nationwide is to always ensure environmental sustainability and achieve substantial reductions in port-generated waste. I am glad that we have achieved it over the past eight years,” Santiago said in a statement last Friday.
PPA is implementing climate change mitigation measures through its Green Port initiatives, modeled after the Green Port Award System (GPAS) of the APEC Port Service Network.
These awards highlight the success of its green initiatives and its leadership in creating sustainable port operations across the Philippines, PPA said.
“With a growing demand for green port solutions, sustainability will be a key focus. This includes energy-efficient operations, environmentally friendly practices, and investments in disaster-resilient infrastructure, especially in the context of climate change,” Santiago said.
These initiatives are aligned with global trends in renewable energy, decarbonization and sustainable practices, while also benchmarking against international standards.
PPA’s sustainability effort has earned recognition through the GPAS, with several PPA ports noted for their exemplary environmental practices, including the Port of Batangas (2017), Port of Cagayan de Oro (2018, 2021), Manila International Container Terminal (2022), Port of Surigao (2023) and Port of General Santos (2024).
