The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has assured there is no congestion nor backlog at ports it operates.
At the Laging Handa public briefing recently, PPA spokesperson Eunice Samonte said yard utilization at the ports is at 84.98 percent, which means there is room to handle more cargoes.
Samonte also said container traffic rose 7.16 percent in January to October this year from the same period in 2021 as trade gradually returns to pre-pandemic scale.
She said the sheer volume of containers in international ports in Los Angeles, California and in China could cause a bit of delay but at “PPA, we ensure there is no port congestion.”
In light of the surge in passenger traffic at the ports during the holidays, Samonte cautioned against scams perpetrated by individuals or parties demanding “insurance” payments at PPA ports, noting insurance fees are already incorporated in their fares.
She added the PPA is conducting an investigation on this scam based on complaints from passengers.
Samonte also announced PPA will launch next month the Container Registry and Monitoring System where cargoes, including balikbayan boxes, can be tracked real time.
Samonte said balikbayan boxes shipped domestically may reach their destination in about a week while those shipped internationally may take one to two months to reach their destination.
Samonte advised those sending balikbayan boxes for the holidays to plan ahead and ship their packages early. – Irma Isip
