Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed concerned government agencies to ease congestion at the Manila South Harbor and Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), Malaca±ang said on Wednesday. 'Kung anuman po ang nagiging problema dito sa port congestion, iyan po ay pinapatutukan ng Pangulo (Whatever problem arises here on port congestion, the President is monitoring it closely),' Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing. She said the Palace already coordinated with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to discuss the reported congestion at Manila's major ports.
According to Philippines News Agency, the President is updated, and it is only right that any arising problems are addressed immediately, with a prompt response from the concerned agencies. Citing the BOC's statement, Castro said port operations are usually 'smooth' on weekdays, noting that port congestion usually happens just on weekends. She noted that the yard utilization levels in the Philippines remain below 90 percent as of Feb. 19, based on BOC's data. She said the yard utilization rate at the Port of Manila is at 79.80 percent; Manila International Container Port, 84.45 percent; some major ports, including Batangas at 49.6 percent; Subic, 60 percent; Cebu, 33 percent; and Davao, 68.34 percent.
Port operators still have the capacity to continue transferring and processing cargo within their areas, Castro said. She added that there is currently no immediate need to halt the movement of containers, as port utilization continues to decrease. The BOC is implementing measures aimed at ensuring uninterrupted port operations, including the implementation of a Customs administrative order on the accreditation of container yards. Castro noted that the BOC would also conduct regular quarterly meetings for coordination and assessment with international shipping lines and port stakeholders, in preparation for months with typically high facility usage.
The BOC also supports infrastructure readiness initiatives, particularly investments in additional facilities and complementary policy issuances, Castro said, adding that crisis management protocols remain active at the BOC in case utilization rates reach critical levels.
