Hyundai cars rev up Batangas port

BATANGAS CITY – The normally quiet port in this city came alive over the weekend as a hulking ship made its maiden call bearing more than 100 cool-looking Hyundai cars set to be l aunched into the local market this month.

The Port of Batangas, the second biggest in Luzon next to the Port of Manila, even served as an informal test track for the Hyundai Matrix upon its arrival. Some of the 100 units of this mini multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) were test driven by government officials, members of the media and other curious guests after they were unloaded from the ship.

Port operator Aries Arrastre Inc., a subsidiary of Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI), said the arrival of the Matrix signaled the official start of its operations in Batangas.

"We have seen this port since 1994 when it was barely two hectares big," said Ramon Atayde, senior vice president of ATI. "We saw the promise of this port and we are excited at what it could bring to our economy."

Located 110 kilometers south of Manila, the Port of Batangas is being developed into the country’s next premier gateway to international shipping and trade.

Traditionally, the port serves as an entry point to the island of Mindoro, with its cargo traffic in the past dominated by agricultural and forestry products.

However, with the Matrix’s arrival, things are bound to change.

Atayde said the Matrix was the first car to be shipped through the Batangas port. He expressed gratitude to Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the country, for trying out Aries Arrastre’s facility.

"We hope other car manufacturers will see the benefit of the port in terms of time, money and energy saved," he said. He added that with a brand new highway — the STAR tollway – reducing travel time from Manila to Batangas by half, many companies might be enticed to try out the new port.

The Matrix will be officially launched to the public on March 25.