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CARGO
volume handled at more than a hundred ports managed by
the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) registered a
single-digit growth rate, mainly pushed by the increase
in foreign goods as domestic throughput remained almost
flat.
Latest
data from the PPA show that total cargo handled
increased by 6.4 percent to 163.75 million metric tons (MMT)
for last year from the previous year’s 154 MMT. Domestic
cargo throughput posted a slight increase at 72.81 MMT
for the entire 2007 compared with 72.62 MMT in 2006.
The port
agency said that if not for the 12-percent growth in
foreign cargo to 91 MMT from the previous 81.2 MMT,
volume growth for 2007 would not have been achieved.
Both
exports and imports posted positive growth rates of 23
percent and 3 percent, respectively, according to the
agency. Cargo volume was highest at the Manila
International Container Terminal (MICT), the
Philippines’ largest, with 15.6 MMT; followed by Cagayan
de Oro, which handled 14.2 MMT; Batangas, 13 MMT; Limay,
11.5 MMT; and Manila South Harbor, 6.4 MMT.
“Container traffic showed good performance with its
6.65-percent positive growth,” the PPA said.
Overall
vessel traffic went up by more than 2 percent to 313,544
ships from the previous 306,107.
For
domestic routes, the PPA said there was an increase in
the number of trips in the Visayas ports, especially
from Iloilo, Ormoc and Tacloban.
Facilities in Cagayan de Oro,
South
Harbor
and MICT received the greatest number of foreign
vessels, the PPA said.
Meanwhile, passengers posted an increase by 4.5 percent,
the first time in more than two years.
The PPA
said more than 2 million travelers used sea transport
for the entire year, mainly boosted by the Strong
Republic Nautical Highway, a series of port facilities
connected to road networks.
For the
whole year, 44.5 million traveled by sea compared with
42.55 million the previous year. Ports which posted the
most passenger growth were Batangas and Calapan, which
saw passage volumes grow by 19 percent and 16 percent,
respectively. |
