CCP area eyed as ship container depot

MANILA, Philippines - With empty shipping containers piling up by the thousands in Manila’s ports, a Cabinet cluster is eyeing the lease of a 10-hectare lot in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex to serve as temporary holding area for the containers.

Up to 22,000 empty containers hindering mobility at the Manila South Harbor (MSH) and the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Juan Sta. Ana said the property is adjacent to the World Trade Center and behind the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

He said that the government, through representatives from the Department of Finance (DOF), has already begun negotiating with the property owner.

“Under this process, all empty containers from MICT and/or MSH will go directly to this facility and (there will be) no withdrawal of empties for export use in this facility. Such will be done using the existing process. To manage traffic, the port operators will dictate which time and date such empty containers will be accepted at the facility,” said Sta. Ana.

The use of the 10-hectare property to temporarily store empty containers is only one of eight options being considered by the government to mitigate port congestion.

They have also allowed the release of cargo during weekends so that 25 percent of the daily cargo volume would be released on Saturdays and Sundays.

The PPA is also encouraging cargo owners to utilize other nearby ports such as Batangas City and Subic.

They would also transfer customs-cleared, overstaying cargo out of Manila.

Authorities would also be introducing the Trucking by Appointment scheme.

“We are advocating this kind of trucking scheme in order that only trucks that will have business or cargo to be taken out of the port will be allowed inside the port for a specific time. Likewise, empties to be deposited inside will also observe this kind of scheme.”

The PPA is also thinking of reducing the free storage period of Bureau of Customs (BOC) cleared cargo.

From the usual five days after the 45-day clearing period allowed by the BOC, the PPA is planning to trim it down and impose a premium or fine. Any cargo staying inside the port after the free storage period after clearance would be levied a penalty of more than three times the existing fee for every day the cargo stays at port.

There is also the utilization of off-dock container freight stations. The port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has reportedly offered use of its two Subic terminals with a combined capacity of about 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) to be a temporary container depot for empties free of charge.

It also offered its 21-hectare property in Cabuyao, Laguna as another facility to store empties, as well as provision for a customs-bonded area where cargo yet to be cleared by the BOC would be temporarily transferred.

On their part, the shipping lines have sent sweepers to the two Manila ports to remove empty containers. Three more sweepers are expected to arrive prior to Aug. 15 to clear the remaining number of empty containers at the port.

Not blaming truck ban

Sta. Ana clarified that the PPA is not blaming the daytime truck ban imposed by the city government of Manila for the port congestion problem, which is caused by many factors.

The government task force on port congestion may consider recommending the lifting of the truck ban in the city of Manila if the volume of containers stuck at port does not return to normal by Aug. 15.

Speaking at the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) Port Traffic Forum yesterday, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo said his department, along with other agencies that are part of the task force on port congestion, would study whether there would be a need to recommend the lifting of truck ban in Manila for 30 days.

FPI chairman emeritus Meneleo Carlos Jr. said in the same event that to ease congestion, the government would have to relocate the 35,000 empty containers in container yards.

The Aquino administration is set to issue an executive order as congestion at the ports of Manila arising from the truck ban imposed by the Manila city government last February has affected the ports in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as well as the DTI are now drafting the order to be submitted to President Aquino for approval.  – With Lawrence Agcaoili, Louella Desiderio