IT’S the best December that Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) has ever experienced so far, a ranking executive said on Monday, as the Manila South Harbor continued to operate at optimum capacity, while ensuring the efficient flow of commodities for the holidays.
Asian Terminals EVP Andrew Hoad said as of the first week of Christmas month, berth occupancy at Manila South Harbor is below 60 percent.
Yard utilization, he said, is well within international standards at 70 percent, while there are no vessel queues at anchorage.
All these indicate the terminal has ample space for container storage, has sufficient capacity to handle more vessels, and thus, no reason to fear any delays to imports this peak season. “It’s the best December we’ve ever had at South Harbor.
Cargo flow has remained robust and unimpeded, even as we reach this year’s homestretch,” he said.
He also encouraged more international carriers to call Manila South Harbor to take advantage of its efficiencies.
In September the terminal handled over 100,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of international containers for the first time in a single month, besting its equally remarkable performance in May, June and October, when it handled over 90,000 TEUs.
Despite the significant increase in volume, its production has averaged above the industry standard of 25 gross moves per crane per hour (GMPH), and even recorded world-class levels of over 30 GMPH in several months, which is comparable to the production of leading global ports in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Hoad attributed this to modern machinery, yard capacity and technology, which have continuously expanded over the years in response to growing market demand.
This includes the highly successful Terminal Appointment Booking System, an online scheduling system similar to online airline booking, which allows for the orderly daily pull-out and delivery of containers at the portspread across 24 hours.
This has resulted in the quicker flow of goods and trucks in and out the terminal without causing heavy traffic on roads.