Did you know that "port" came from the Latin word "porta" which means "gateway?" Yes, in earlier times the port was a place near the coast where things came in from outside (import) or were shipped outside (export).

Ports serve as gateways to international trade, acting as the interface between land and sea transportation networks. In addition to their impact on the national economy, ports also have an impact on local and regional economies.

In our country, the Philippine Ports Authority, or PPA, recently announced that its revenues grew by P4.88 billion, or 30.19 percent, which could be attributed to the higher volume of cargo and income derived from regulatory and other sources together with the positive impact of dollar-denominated tariffs.

This means that for the last 10 months, the port authority generated a skyrocketing P21.06 billion, the highest since the inception of the agency 49 years ago in 1974.

Service and Business Income accounted for 41.33 percent or P8.7 billion of the total revenue followed by regulatory income at 40.86 percent or P8.6 billion, and Interest and Gains at 17.81 percent or P3.75 billion.

For October alone, the PPA generated revenues of P2.25 billion or 3.19 percent over the target of P2.18 billion, which was higher by 71.55 percent compared with the same month last year. Now that is a W-O-W!

The massive revenue increase can be attributed to the policy changes over the years brought about by General manager Jay Santiago, who was a holdover from the previous administration.

Policy changes require longer years of implementation and continuity to reap the fruits of the rigorous years of planning and strategic management.

On the other hand, PPA could have done a lot more if its digitalization projects pushed through.

The e-ticketing system proposed by PPA for the travelers' ease of getting tickets on site and to cure the long lines during peak season; the TOP-CRMS intended for easier tracking and container monitoring to avoid congestion at ports; the single window projects to keep up with the neighboring countries in ASEAN… What happened to these projects of PPA?

Your guess is as good as mine. After all, the PPA is an attached agency of the Department of Transportation.

The maritime industry's push towards digitalization is not just a trend, it is a necessity. But of course, the transition to automation is costly and the returns are often not immediately evident but will come in the long run.

Look at Singapore's Digiports or Indonesia's National Single Window System. Their ports have evolved from being more than just a gateway to a single marine ecosystem connecting all their government agencies and their economy.

The Philippines can learn a thing or two from the experiences and innovations employed by our neighbors in dealing with challenges involving seaports, the shipping industry and the maritime industry in general.

After all, the FAL Convention will make it mandatory for public authorities to establish and maintain a Single Window system for the electronic exchange of information required on the arrival, stay and departure of ships at ports.

In addition, public authorities will have to combine or coordinate the electronic transmission of the data to ensure that information is submitted or provided only once and re-used to the maximum extent possible.

In line with the objective of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to attain increased economic activity and to make the maritime industry great again, our ports are indeed adapting to the changing times to deliver more revenues and employment.

Ports have evolved from being more than just a gateway
— ports are now the strategic points in connecting the economic activities and supply points of a rising country.

After all, with the Philippines' archipelagic nature, we depend on seaports much more than countries with large continuous landmasses. The efficiency of maritime transportation has become increasingly essential to national competitiveness because we are all in the same boat.