The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) on Thursday dismissed claims of congestion at Metro Manila’s ports, stressing that high yard utilization will not trigger price hikes.

“There is no port congestion. Let’s not create a scenario which will create undue concern to the public that there will be a hike in prices resulting from port congestion,” PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said in a text message to the Daily Tribune.

“Yard utilization at the Manila ports remains healthy even if utilization is above optimum. Higher utilization does not mean congestion. Cargo processing remains consistent and free flowing,” he added.

Based on the latest PPA data, reefer yard conditions were tighter at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) than at the Port of Manila South Harbor as of Thursday morning, with utilization at 85.32 percent versus 70.66 percent, reflecting heavier pressure on cold-storage facilities. 

MICT handled a far higher volume of refrigerated containers, 6,560 TEUs compared with 343 TEUs at South Harbor, underscoring its role as the main gateway for temperature-sensitive cargo. 

Overall, yard utilization at Manila South Harbor and MICT stood at 72.97 percent and 84.16 percent, respectively—both above the 70 percent considered optimum. 

Despite the high traffic, Santiago pointed out that “port charges remain constant and can’t be arbitrarily adjusted or increased.”

The assurance came amid concerns raised by the Philippine Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. (PCCBI), which said the logistics sector “are grappling with a severe truck deadlock caused by the limited capacity of empty container yards, which prevents the timely return of empties and, in turn, stalls the withdrawal of laden containers from terminals.”

In a statement, PCCBI urged reducing the current 90-day allowance for empty container storage to a maximum of 60 days. 

The group said this measure would “compel international shipping lines to prioritize the evacuation of overstaying containers, preventing them from clogging vital terminal space and harming the national economy.”

It also called for the strict enforcement of PPA Administrative Order No. 02-2019, which requires cleared import cargoes remaining inside the port for more than 30 days to be transferred immediately.