Handling rates increased in 14 ports
THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has granted a round
of probationary rate increases in cargo handling services in 14 ports of
various classifications nationwide, including the Manila South and North
Harbors.
PPA approved a 10 per cent hike to cushion the the impact
of the economic crisis affecting the financial performance of many port
operators during the last two years. The increase will cover charges in
stevedoring for containerized, non-containerized and ro-ro cargoes for
both domestic and international traffic.
Pending the outcome of public hearings conducted by their
respective port management offices nationwide, port operators are expected
to gain from further increases the PPA will approve. Port users such as
the shipping lines and shippers group preferred not to object to the interim
adjustments as they believe in the financial viability facing the port
sector.
Some port operators have proposed as much as 30 per cent
increase in cargo handling rates to absorb increases in wages, fuel and
oil prices and devaluation of the local currency. However, the PPA’s commercial
services division says it will conduct public hearings to determine the
specific rate required by each port as many of them have still to comply
with all the requirements like submission of financial statements and payment
of amelioration pay to their workers.
It is the obligation of port operators to pay their workers
the required amelioration pay despite the PPA order to implement the Workers
Amelioration Fund, many cargo handlers still have to allot funds for their
laborers benefits.
Honasan calls for passage of Maritime Safety Act
SENATOR Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan has urged Congress to
expedite the passage of the long-delayed Maritime Safety Act which seeks
to impose stricter safety mechanisms and regulations on maritime transport
operators to avert sea tragedies.
At the same time, Honasan reminded his colleagues in Congress
not be too quick in calling for legislative inquiries if they cannot come
up with concrete remedial measures that would address the root causes of
the perennial problem. “We should not jump into a paroxysm of legislative
investigations and inquiries if we could not sustain our legislative action,”
he said. “Every year, we are faced with such tragedies and yet not enough
effort has materialized. Sadly, we are even quicker to point an accusing
finger on any government agency at every onset of these sea tragedies.
But what have we done really to ensure the lives and safety of commuters
at sea?” the senator asked.
Honasan recalled how the country was shocked with the
news that MV Asia South Korea, a Trans-Asia Shipping Lines passenger vessel,
sank near Bantayan Island, Cebu two days before Christmas. He said that
unless Congress institute concrete remedial measures to avert such sea
tragedies other than “merely recommending fines and penalties on erring
sea transport operators, the country will see again and again maritime
accidents.”
New int’l container port to rise in Mindanao
TRADE in Northern Mindanao is expected to get a big boost
when the first phase of the new Mindanao International Container Port (MICP)
here is completed in 2004. The initial phase of MICP project will take
a little over two years to set up and is estimated to cost Php 3.2 billion.
It will include a 300-meter berth which can accommodate 30,000-DWT
vessels, loading and unloading equipment, container yards, other storage
facilities, administrative offices and access roads.
Eighty-five percent of the total MICP project cost will
be sourced from the OECF/JBIC Special Yen Loan package, also known as the
Obuchi Fund. The project will be implemented by the Phividec Industry Authority,
which operates the Phividec Industrial Estate.
The port zone will eventually occupy 50 hectares along
the northern shoreline of Macajalar Bay at Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental,
within the Phividec, Industrial Estate complex. The remaining phase of
the project, which will extend the berth to 500 meters and allow the accommodation
of Panamax–type vessels, is scheduled for completion by 2006. The naturally
deep waters of the bay can accommodate vessels with a draft of up to 13.5
meters. The industrial estate, apart from offering land for future expansion,
has existing access roads, telecommunications, power and water supply systems.
Fast-boat service boosts Palawan tourism
Trade and tourism is expected to get a big boost in the
province of Palawan after South Star Shipping started providing fast boat
services between the Puerto Princesa City and the towns of Roxas, Taytay,
Cuyao and Coron.
According to Atty. Jaime de Año, president of Southstar,
there will be three catarmans -- South Star Uno, South Star Dos, and South
Star Tres -- connecting the various ports in the province.
De Año, who visited the Palawan recently, paid
a courtesy call to Gov. Salvador Socrates and told him of his company's
commitment to help the province's tourism industry by providing a regular
and efficient mode of transport between Puerto Princesa and the various
ports in the province.
He said told Socrates that South Star Dos and South Star
Tres has a capacity of 75 passengers each while South Star Uno can ferry
at least 200 passengers.
"South Star Uno will ply the Puerto Princesa-Roxas-Taytay
sea route while South Star Dos will serve the Cuyao-Roxas ports with South
Star Tres making the Coron-Roxas regular run," De Año said.
The South Star official explained that with the three
catarmans, travel from various points in the province will be a lot easier
and more convenient. He said that while it takes 10 hours of travel through
rough, bumpy and muddy roads from Puerto Princesa to Taytay, it could now
be reached in less than four hours through South Star Uno.
"Before, one can only reach the famous El Nido either
by chartering a boat or an aircraft because the overland travel is near
to impossible because of the road condition," he said. "The same is true
when you go to the islands of Cuyao and Coron, there are no regular boat
services," he added.
Socrates, who later joined the "test run" of the catarmans,
together with Star Shipping vice president Engr. Generoso Mamaril and UFS
president Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, lauded the shipping firm calling the
fast craft service between Palawan's various ports as a major contribution
to the "further development of tourism and trade in the province."
Zamboanga port upgrade sought
SHIPOWNERS urged the government to upgrade the facilities
of the Zamboanga port as they claimed incurring losses whenever their ships
make a call there.
Zamboanga port harbor master Victor Abanilla estimate
the losses at thousands of pesos each day a ship, local or foreign, which
could run to millions of pesos each month due to the lack of necessary
facilities at that provincial waterfront.
Abanilla likewise pointed out during an interview that
the congestion problems of the seaport, the major gateway to the ASEAN
highway, reached severe proportions. “Trade in the province, which has
grown over the years, has significantly increased the number of ship calls,
making existing port facilities obsolete in terms of handling aside from
lack of berthing spaces,” he said.
The port official relates that foreign vessels calling
at the waterfront need as much as seven days to unload their cargoes. “For
each day that they cannot dock, foreign vessels lose around $3,000 due
to operating expense such as light water and others,” Abanilla noted.
On the part of the domestic ship, the harbor master said
that operational losses amount to more or least P50,000 a day. This excludes
the P40,000 they have to shell out the pilot service.
Unloading of cargoes is usually done during nightime,
because the port prioritizes passenger vessels which mostly arrive during
day time.
Presently, the existing pier of the port has length of
about 278 meters. Abanilla said that the last port expansion was done way
back in 1982 with an increase of 220 meters for big vessels and 45 meters
for the ferry pier.
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