More than 800 containers of rice and other agricultural shipments remain unclaimed at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and Manila South Harbor (MSH), the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said on Wednesday.

The PPA has already provided the Department of Agriculture (DA) with a list of consignees who have not yet released their rice shipments at MSH and MICT, as part of the ongoing efforts of the PPA to ensure the efficient management of rice shipments and enhance overall port operations.

This list also includes an inventory of pork, chicken, and onion shipments, supporting the administration’s efforts to ensure food security in the country as the Christmas season approaches.

In a letter dated 1 October 2024, PPA general manager Jay Santiago informed DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel about the rice importation inventory as of 30 September 2024, for both MSH and MICT.

The report includes shipments with Bureau of Customs (BoC) clearance and those that have surpassed the 30-day dwell time.

The data reveals a total of 819 TEUs currently at MSH and MICT, with 40 TEUs exceeding 30 days at MICT.

At MSH, a certain rice shipment remains unclaimed despite BoC clearance, with dwell time reaching 287 days.

Santiago said the PPA has no jurisdiction over the consignees, as its mandate is strictly focused on port management.

The PPA has directed the head of operations and engineering of Asian Terminal Inc. (ATI), the terminal operator of MSH, to report the overstaying containers to the BoC for appropriate disposition in accordance with Section 1129 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act concerning abandoned containers.

“We believe that having this information regularly will help both PPA and DA identify trends, address any challenges promptly, and improve overall service delivery,” Santiago said.

To prepare for the expected demand increase during the Christmas season, the PPA has also intensified its monitoring of pork, chicken and onion inventories.

The agency provided the DA with a detailed inventory of these shipments at MSH and MICT as of 30 September.

According to the data as of 30 September 2024, there are 135 TEUs of pork shipments, 101 TEUs of chicken and 24 TEUs of onions at the ports.

The PPA reported that 21 containers of pork have remained at the port for over 30 days, despite BoC clearance, with five containers exceeding 1,000 days in dwell time.

For chicken shipments, 22 containers cleared by the BoC are still at the port, with 12 of them surpassing 600 days in dwell time.

Meanwhile, four onion containers have not yet received OLRS (On-Line Release System) clearance, which refers to the electronic release instructions for import shipment generated by the BoC’s electronic-to-mobile system.

“Effective monitoring of frozen pork, frozen chicken and onions during the Christmas season is crucial due to increased demand and potential challenges. Timely removal of these cargoes from the port is vital for ensuring food safety and maintaining product quality,” said Santiago.