Philippines reports a grow in volume of Local Containerized Cargo

A 16% growth in volume of containerized cargoes handled in the country was recorded during the first nine months of 2010.

According to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the increase can be attributed to the significant improvement of foreign container traffic which rose by 22.2 percent as well as the 8.04 percent increase in the Domestic container traffic.

Of the total TEUs handled nationwide, South Harbor and the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) accommodated 1.93 million TEUs or a combined total volume during the period. Other government and private ports were accounted for 38.6 and 3.6 percent, respectively.

PPA also noted that total cargo put for the first nine months of 2010 increased by 12.4 percent to 125.6 million metric tons (MMT) from 111.7 MMT in 2009.

Of the total volume handled nationwide, 55 MMT 43.8 percent was accommodated by government ports with South Harbor and MICT handling 6.49 MMT (5.17 percent) and 13.7 MMT (10.9 percent). Other government ports handled 34.8 MMT (27.7 percent), while the remaining 70.54 MMT or 56.17 percent was handled by private ports.

Significant growth in the volume of cargo was recorded in most ports particularly in Zamboanga (80.2 percent), San Fernando (78.4 percent), Surigao (37.9 percent), Tacloban (31.6 percent), Calapan in Mindoro (27.1 per- cent), Puerto Princesa (26.1 percent), Ozamiz (23.8 percent) and MICT (22.1 percent).

PPA also noted that the increase in foreign trade was almost negated by the decline cargo volume recorded in the ports of Cotabato, Nasipit, Pulupandan, Batangas and South Harbor in the Philippines.