SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line, one of the world’s leading transportation companies, is now assessing the viability of its ad hoc direct route to Subic after making the first port call here this weekend.
Mary Grace Golez, NYK Group National Sales, Marketing and Outports manager, said the recent and subsequent port calls will serve as basis of assessment for opening a full operation here, or for the company to use Subic only as an alternate port in view of the congestion in Manila.
“It all depends on the outcome of the assessment after several port calls. But we hope everything would go well,” Golez said.
She said that should the assessment go well, the new route—Kaohsiung-Subic-Singapore—would open the Port of Subic to major transshipment ports that connect to the rest of the world’s trade routes, especially in Asean countries, Africa, Europe and North America.
Golez also noted that the Port of Batangas, which, along with Subic, has been classified as an extension port of Manila under President Aquino’s Executive Order 172, is already congested just a month after serving as an extension port. Batangas is nearer to Manila than Subic.
NYK Line made its maiden trip to Subic on Saturday when brought the 688-gross tonnage Liberian-flagged cargo vessel MV Jakarta Towers to the New Container Terminal (NCT)-2 here after sailing a day-and-a-half from Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The vessel unloaded about 110 cargo containers destined to consignees in various parts of Luzon. These included Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. in Santa Rosa, Laguna, and Canon Business Machines Philippines Corp. in Tanauan, Batangas.
MV Jakarta Towers also unloaded cargos for consignees in Central and Northern Luzon, including Sumi Philippines Wiring System Corp. at the Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park in Bataan; International Wiring System Philippines at Luisita Industrial Park and Special Ecozone in Tarlac; and Yokohama Tires at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.
With the entry of NYK in Subic, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Roberto Garcia said that more shipping companies in Southeast Asia are starting to consider using the Port of Subic after experiencing long delays in unloading and loading of containerized cargos in Manila.
He said the port congestion in Manila has been forcing cargo vessels to wait off Manila Bay for at least a week before they could dock and unload cargos.
Early this month China-based SITC Container Lines (Philippines) Inc. also opened a direct route from Xiamen, China, to Subic with its container ship MV Sicilia making its maiden voyage to Subic and unloading 22 containers at NCT-2.
Aside from these, two other international shipping lines have been serving the Subic route: Wan Hai and American President Lines.