With the onset of “ber” months (September-December), concerned government agencies and private-sector stakeholders are urged to work together to make sure the Manila Port will not again experience the congestion that took place last year.
The call was issued recently by Senator Bam Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.
The last quarter of the year is usually peak season at the port area, with heavy volume of containers arriving in time for the holidays, clogging ports and congesting yards.
Last year, importers, brokers, truckers, freight forwarders, cargo owners and other right holders were asked to withdraw their cargoes early or double their volume of withdrawals as a pre-emptive measure against a potential congestion brought about by the holidays.
“Now that we have learned our lesson from last year, we must not let our guard down,” said Aquino. He urged the cooperation of all concerned agencies and stakeholders to ensure that congestion will not hamper port operation during the months leading to Christmas.
During a recent meeting, stakeholders reported that the utilization rate at the Port of Manila is now between 70 to 80 percent. In addition, waiting time for trucks has improved, while cargo ships can now load or unload cargoes in just mere hours, instead of the days it took at the height of the congestion last year.
Photo: from portcalls.com