What’s with July?

Well, other than we are entering the second half of the year, July has so much more to offer (despite all the stressful news we see every day). July can be a good beginning for some people considering this month for their exchange of “I do” like my social media manager Cara and Ian who will be walking down the aisle. Congratulations! July beckons with a promise of more open schedules and relaxed obligations. Come on! It is time to chill a bit, after all we had all been hardworking in the first six months of 2025.

Speaking of years, a very active government agency just celebrated its 51st year. Congratulations to the Philippine Ports Authority! Fifty-one years is not a small win, hey, that’s actually a big accomplishment for an agency founded on 11 July 1974 during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. --- an agency that has kept the country moving for over five decades.

For the Philippine Ports Authority (PFA), this month of July is not just a celebration but a reminder of its dedicated service to the people over the years. With the theme, “Sustaining the Legacy, Strengthening the Nation,” this milestone is also a checkpoint to measure and reflect on how far the ports have come in terms of the country’s dependence on them when it comes to commerce, trade, and the movement of goods and people.

Admit it, ports are not that flashy to people when it comes to claiming what they have done, but mind you, the ports are working 24/7 behind the scenes to make sure products and goods reach the market, families get home safely, and businesses stay afloat.

The numbers don’t lie. As reported by PPA general manager Jay Santiago, in the first six months of 2025 alone, the PPA recorded ₱14.67 billion in revenue — a 13.65-percent jump from last year. Container traffic? Up 11 percent. Passenger movement? Up over 10 percent. Even cruise ship tourism is bouncing back, nearly doubling from last year.

That means more people traveling, more goods moving, more opportunities being created. This isn’t just good news for the PPA, it is good news for all of us since we are all in the same boat.

Sometimes people see ports as distant industrial spaces near coastal areas, but you know what? Ports are very connected to the everyday lives of Filipinos. That online delivery you received? That home trip you’ve been looking forward to? The fresh food you have just bought in the grocery? That dress you have ordered overseas? Uhm, the ports had something to do with that. It has always been a subtle part of our everyday living.

Across the country, PPA has 25 Port Management Offices (PMO) and around 130 ports nationwide. Today, there are 90 port projects in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, many of which have been completed or are nearing the finish line.

In the first semester of 2025 alone, PPA completed major port developments, including:

• Luzon: Capinpin Port Expansion, Romblon Port Expansion, Mauban Port Improvement, San Andres Improvement and Expansion, Salomague Port Expansion, Lamao Port Improvement and Currimao ports.

• Visayas: Tagbilaran Back-up and RC Pier, Estancia Port Expansion, and Banago Port.

• Mindanao: Expansion work at Balingoan Port has been completed, while key developments such as the rehabilitation and upgrading of the power substation at the Port of Cagayan de Oro, the construction of a Port Operations Building at the Port of Benoni in Camiguin, and the expansion and restoration of Malalag Port in Davao del Sur are all nearing completion.

These upgrades aren’t just about infrastructure. They’re about making sure even the remotest island communities have access to trade, transport and opportunity.

This year’s PPA anniversary is not just about press releases and ribbon cuttings. This week included health checks for employees, blood donation drives, support for senior citizens, and even a fun run and talent show. It’s the kind of meaningful, low-key celebration that shows heart, just showing that the people behind the ports care just as much as they work.

Congratulations again to PPA GM Jay Santiago and to the men and women of the Philippine Ports Authority for over five decades of steering the country’s port operations towards growth and global competitiveness — for we are all in the same boat (and ports).