Mindanao quarterly box volume rise boosted by typhoon aid shipments

CONTAINER ports in the northern Mindanao experienced an increase in traffic and container volumes during the first quarter of 2012.

More than half the total of domestic vessel calls - 8,441 - were made in Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) harbours with the remaining at private ports, the Mindanao Container Port at 71 and Phividec Industrial Authority (PIA) regulated ports at 141.

Of the 177 foreign vessels making calls at the Philippines island the Mindanao Container Port took up to 46 against 76 in private ports and 40 at OPIA-regulated ports.

Containers at all of the ports within the region were up at 12.25 per cent from 98,797 TEU to 110,902 TEU with domestic vessels up by 15.90 per cent to 78,998 TEU and foreign less in a 4.15 per cent uplift at 31,904 TEU. Imports were down from 15,880 TEU to 14,897 TEU, a drop of 6.19 per cent. Exports were up 15.27 per cent from 14,755 to 15,880 TEU.

Non-container cargo was up in the first quarter compared to same period 2011 in both domestic and foreign. Domestic non-container cargo was up by 8.92 per cent to 2,316,455 tonnes with inbound and outbound cargo up 6.85 per cent at 1,175,755 tonnes and 11.14 per cent at 1,140,700 tonnes respectively.

Foreign non-container imports were up 36.24 per cent to 1,839,082 tonnes, exports declined 14.4 per cent to 1,121,345 tonnes.

It must be noted that throughput were affected by the international aid received by the Philippines island following the severe Washi typhoon in mid-December.

Passenger traffic declined with disembarking down from 857,959 to 777,706 or -9.35 per cent and embarking passengers also from 815,856 to 724,738 or -11.17 per cent.