THE government has reported that congestion in the Port of Manila is now easing up due to various measures being adopted by stakeholders.
During the recent Manila Ports Forum hosted by Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras and the Philippine Ports Authority, the Palace official noted that significant improvement in empty positioning by trucks, new systems from the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) and the opening of a new empty-container depot at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) have somehow addressed the problem.
AISL said they are doing their part to ease congestion at the Manila ports, including a project for an online system on the retrieval of empty containers.
Once approved by its board, the system can be rolled out to interconnect all stakeholders, including shipping lines, truckers and depots directly involved in empty-container returns.
AISL said it has commissioned technology provider Cargo Data Exchange Center to develop and implement the integrated system.
The web-based system was suggested by truckers, specifically Alberto Suansing, director of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines, and drew support from other industry stakeholders such as the Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations, and Container Depot Association of the Philippines.
“The new yard expansion at the MICT will significantly improve the situation in the Port of Manila. Shipping lines now have additional space to park their empty containers within the port. Operationally, this will be very efficient when shipping lines move out their empty containers outside of the country,” Almendras said during the meeting.
Mohamed Ghandar, MICT general manager, said operations at the new yard expansion of the MICT are in full swing to specifically accommodate the storage of empty containers.
Returning empty containers has been identified as a major cause of the backlog at the Manila ports that was caused by the Manila daytime truck ban.