STX Heavy Industries Co. employees work at the company’s shipyard in Jinhae, South Korea, on Friday. STX Group, the parent of South Korea’s first shipyard to build vessels in China, plans to start making oil tankers in Azerbaijan because of rising shipments from the Caspian Sea area. Bloomberg

IN a move designed to buoy the anticipated growth of cargo volume among the three major island groups in the country, MCC Transport Philippines has deployed a second container vessel for the regions of Visayas and Mindanao.

Enrique  Aboitiz, president and chief executive of Aboitiz Transport System Corp., or ATSC, a minority but significant owner of MCC, said they will assess whether a third ship is feasible within the next two to three months.

MCC Philippines’ new vessel is via charter contract. This means it can be pulled out, or recalled, from a port when the expected cargo volume does not materialize, Aboitiz said.

The vessel has the capacity to move 966 containers and would be placed either to serve the Cebu to northern Mindanao route, if not Davao to General Santos.

“The original plan was really to have two ships [under MCC Philippines]. And we will assess in the next two to three months because… [ATSC is] also free to bring in our own ships,” Aboitiz said.

ATSC has an exclusive cargo ship called 2Go1. The company plans to have its second cargo vessel, but to date still has to deploy it.

The first vessel, logged in the Philippine registry and is now called MCC Sinag, came in last August at the height of the country’s cargo vessel shortage.

MCC Philippines is owned 40 percent by MCC Transport Singapore Pte Ltd., 33 percent by ATSC and 27 percent by Mercantile Ocean Maritime Co. It was established last May when ATSC planned to sell four of its SuperFerry to cut cost and pay off debts.

MCC Philippines’ operations caused a stir in domestic shipping since the company only operates on a special permit that was extended by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) beyond the usual three to six months.

In a recent interview, Marina administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. said the extension ensured the container-cargo movement would not be interrupted after the Aboitiz group sold its vessels and the remaining firms could not fill the gap left by the group.

“I will not sacrifice the movement of cargo,” Suazo said, adding that other shipping lines that will offer their services would also be given a permit.

MCC Philippines deploys 2nd vessel ahead of volume growth

IN a move designed to buoy the anticipated growth of cargo volume among the three major island groups in the country, MCC Transport Philippines has deployed a second container vessel for the regions of Visayas and Mindanao.

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