No port congestion — PPA

Cargo arrival is swelling due to the holiday season but authorities assured there will be no port congestion in the country.

Utilization of the country's port yard is currently at 84.98 percent, Philippine Ports Authority spokesperson Eunice Samonte said, adding that the country's ports have enough space for arriving shipments.

But Samonte said this does not mean that there will be no delays in shipment.

"We are expecting a bit of delay since we are also anticipating the influx of arrival of containers and cargoes, particularly coming from Los Angeles and China Port. But here in our country, we assure the public that no port congestion will happen," she added.

No congestion is also expected at the Manila International Container Terminal.

"We don't anticipate any port congestion, especially in MICT. We are closely monitoring the arrival and departure of vessels as well as the daily gate-in and
gate-out of containers. The utilization now is high but still manageable," Catherine Esto, acting manager of the Port Management
Office-National Capital Region South, said.

Extra charge

Meanwhile, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago warned that the extra P20 charge on bus passengers passing through the Port of Matnog in Sorsogon is unauthorized.

"It should be clear to our compatriots that the PPA does not charge extra fees to passengers for the booking services fee," Santiago said.

"To the bus passengers who will be using the wharf, please remember that you should only pay three things" first is the ferry ticket, the terminal fee to the PPA, and the environmental fee to the LGU (local government unit)," he added.

The Port Management Office-Bicol has received complaints on the so-called booking service fee in Matnog port.

"We started to observe the charging of the booking services fee and we discovered that almost all buses are charging their passengers," according to Port Manager Ma. Magnolia Requejo.

"So far, we have talked to the Provincial Administrator of Sorsogon, Erick Ravanilla, to convey that there are charges being made to bus passengers at the port and they said they are also conducting an investigation because they do not approve additional charges for bus passengers going to the Matnog port," added Requejo.

Ports nationwide recorded passenger traffic of 48.2 million, up 108.81 percent from the 23 million during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.