by Myla Iglesias and Angela Celis
LISTED port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) yesterday assured the unimpeded flow of goods in the supply chain, especially at this time of heightened national emergency.
ATI, which operates Manila South Harbor and Batangas Container Terminal, said its port terminals and off-dock facilities in Laguna are business as usual, in support of the government’s directive to keep essential facilities, including seaports which serve as trade gateways, up and running amid the COVID-19 expanded community quarantine covering the entire island of Luzon.
ATI added as early as end-February, it has been implementing stringent health and safety protocols including thermal scanning prior to entry into gates and offices, issuance of complete personnel protective equipment, regular sanitation of facilities, social distancing and flexible work arrangements for office-based employees.
To support its operations, ATI said it is deploying point-to-point shuttles with key pick-up and drop-off points north and south of Manila and in Laguna to ensure the seamless transit of essential personnel to and from its facilities, given the disruption on public transportation.
ATI has coordinated with local government units, port authorities and law enforcement to facilitate the passage of the said vehicles and personnel, subject to usual verification and checkpoint screenings.
Key offices of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Ports Authority related to the release and processing of cargoes in both Manila and Batangas Ports are likewise functional with skeletal workforce complements.
Meanwhile, the BOC is encouraging its partners in the import and logistical sectors such as the banks, arrastre and airport operators, shipping lines, and airlines to provide skeletal workforce or online services to the BOC stakeholders.
The agency in a statement said the support and continuous services of the said groups is vital in order to facilitate the shipments of basic and essential goods such as food and medical supplies that are coming in the country for distribution to the market.
“We are operational in Central Office and all ports,” Rey Leonardo Guerrero, customs commissioner, said in a message shared by Carlos Dominguez, Department of Finance secretary, to reporters through Viber yesterday.
“Our online transaction system is also working. There is no work stoppage in BOC,” he added.
