Cargo congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been resolved following weeks of shipment delays that disrupted local businesses, particularly in the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing sectors, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) said.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno declared the backlog cleared last 28 August after coordinated efforts between customs officials, cargo handler PairCargo and industry stakeholders.

Nepomuceno officially confirmed the resolution of the port congestion after operations normalized at the country's primary gateway.

Reports disclosed that the operational bottleneck stemmed from a sudden reduction in warehouse capacity after New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. reclaimed a facility operated by Philippine Skylanders International for redevelopment.

The closure left PairCargo and Cargohaus as the remaining multi-carrier customs-bonded warehouses at the airport.

Loss of space placed significant strain on PairCargo, which manages roughly 70 percent of air cargo passing through the terminal.

The sudden influx of shipments overwhelmed existing capacity and led to the initial buildup.

To address the backlog, the Bureau of Customs extended operating hours, deployed additional personnel and established a system to prioritize high-value and time-sensitive shipments.

Customs officials coordinated with PairCargo, importers, customs brokers and logistics providers to expedite the release of grounded goods.

Ralph Morales, country director for government relations and public affairs at Texas Instruments Philippines, noted that the government intervention allowed the company to resolve its logjam rapidly.

Morales said direct engagement and urgent verification enabled the firm to clear 99 percent of its critical shipments within days.