PPA: PH cargo throughput rises 6.31% in 1H

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) reported a robust performance in the first half of the year, with cargo throughput increasing by 6.31 percent to 138.28 million metric tons (MT) from 130.08 million MT in the same period last year.

PPA attributed this growth to improvements in the country’s import and export activities and domestic cargo movement, indicating a positive trend in the logistics and transportation sectors.

This growth was fueled by gains in domestic and foreign cargo, with domestic cargoes reaching 52.62 million MT and foreign cargoes totaling 85.65 million MT. Of the foreign cargo, 52.49 million MT were imports, while 33.16 million MT were exports.

The Philippine Ports Authority main office in Manila. FILE PHOTO

Container throughput registered a modest uptick of 1.88 percent, climbing to 3.73 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) from 3.66 million TEU. The domestic containers accounted for 1.29 million TEUs, while the foreign containers contributed 2.43 million TEUs, with import boxes at 1.24 million TEUs and exports at 1.19 million TEUs.

The maritime activity saw a significant boost, with ship calls rising by 12.6 percent to 309,806 from 275,131 in the previous year. Meanwhile, passenger traffic surged by 15.77 percent year-on-year, with 41.47 million passengers recorded compared to 35.82 million during the same period last year, indicating a strong recovery in travel demand.

In another development, MV 2GO Masinag completed its maiden voyage, safely docking at the Port of Tagbilaran on Aug. 15, 2024. The newest addition to the 2GO Group fleet, a state-of-the-art vessel, measures 167 meters in length and 25.6 meters in width, with a draft of 6 meters and a total gross tonnage of 19,924.

The vessel arrived around 1 a.m. and smoothly docked from Berth 2 to Berth 5, marking its first voyage in domestic waters on the Manila-Batangas-Cebu-Tagbilaran-Manila route.

With a top speed of 23.2 knots, MV 2GO Masinag is capable of carrying 732 passengers, accommodating 82 vehicles and loading 204 TEUs of container vans.

To ensure the ship’s safe and efficient operation before its arrival, the PMO-Bohol team, with the Globalport Bohol Terminal Inc., Tagbilaran Harbor Pilots and other service providers, conducted a detailed berthing meeting. The meeting aimed to ensure that all necessary preparations were in place to meet the needs of passengers and crew, ensuring a comfortable and smooth stay at the Bohol port.