Batangas port starts handling international shipments

MANILA, Philippines - After being underutilized for some time, the international shipment for the Batangas port has started after the Regional Container Lines (RCL) started docking in the port this month, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reported.

Japanese firms located in PEZA zones have been pressuring the government to open the port to international shipment because the ports of Manila are already congested. In fact, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines planned to include the opening of this port in the renegotiation of the Japan Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) next year.

PEZA director general Lilia B. De Lima said that PEZA firms located in Batangas and other surrounding provinces have been waiting for the port and the opening of international shipment bodes well for business.

Five companies have already used the port so far. They are Maxim Philippines located in Batangas, Pazar, Dole Philippines and Coral Bay in Cotabato and Estephan Philippines Inc.

“We have been working on this since last year because we were trying to get shipping lines to operate and we wanted the PEZA firms to use the port,” De Lima said.

De Lima explained that it was difficult to convince the first liner to locate in Batangas but now that international operations have started other firms are expected to follow. In fact, she said they are in the final stages of the negotiation for another shipping line. “Now there will be volume,” she said.

De Lima said that it is advantageous to use the Batangas port versus the ports in Manila. “In Batangas there is no color coding and there is a lot of space. It is not congested like Manila.” Mostly, she said the firms that will use the ports are those in the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon area.

Many auto manufacturers are in Laguna and she said it is perfect for auto and parts shipment.

The Batangas Port has a newly operational international container terminal equipped with two ship-to-shore cranes and other modern cargo stacking equipment. It has an annual throughput capacity of 400,000 TEUs.

Aside from conventional port services, ATIB provides logistics services for leading energy exploration companies operating in offshore Palawan through the Batangas Supply Base.