Freeport Area of Bataan — The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) has recorded a 611.3 percent increase in ship calls since 2018.

According to an AFAB report, the number of ship calls rose from 115 in 2018 to 818 by the end of 2024.

AFAB Administrator and CEO Hussein Pangandaman said the sustained growth in port operations is reflected in key performance indicators for vessel calls.

"A total of 818 recorded as of December 2024, 527 domestic and 291 foreign, harnessing the FAB's strategic location, a key to fulfilling its vision of becoming an investment hub," he said.

Pangandaman cited that from January to April 2024, port activity maintained steady growth, averaging 95 vessel calls per month.

"A temporary dip in domestic calls in June, due to adverse weather and reduced transactions at Camaya Coast, was followed by a strong rebound, averaging 49 calls per month from July to December," he added.

AFAB showed significant growth in port operations, with domestic vessel calls rising by 10.48 percent and foreign calls surging by 50.78 percent compared to 2023, highlighting the increasing demand and competitiveness of AFAB's port services.

According to Port Operations, monthly ship calls show that 66.7 percent are domestic, while 33.3 percent are foreign.

For domestic ship calls, 45 percent are passengers, 7 percent are for loading cargo, 2 percent are for towing, and 5 percent are other related domestic ship calls.

For foreign ship calls, 32 percent are for discharging cargo, while 2 percent are for passengers.

In terms of volume, 884,221 metric tonnes (MT) are from foreign ship calls, while 13,870 MT are from domestic ship calls. Ship calls for the delivery of coal remain the largest category in foreign ship calls, accounting for 80.5 percent of the total.

This is followed by cement at 7.1 percent, soybean meal at 5.6 percent, fly ash in bulk at 3.5 percent, and rice in bags at 3.2 percent.

For domestic ship calls, all 13,870 MT are cement in bags.