Truckers, brokers stage rally in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - An organization of truckers and Customs brokers staged protests in front of various government agencies and at port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) yesterday to decry the seeming lack of action to address congestion in Manila’s ports.

Members of the Alyansa ng Truckers at mga Organisasyon sa mga Puerto (ATOP) held rallies in front of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Manila City Hall, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and ATI to complain about the port congestion that is wreaking havoc on their businesses.

The demonstrators assembled at the Manila Cathedral and Rizal Park before proceeding to the government agencies.

In a manifesto, the group said “the port congestion is a persistent problem that adds to our burden every year. This is caused by the new regulations in the port area. We are afraid that this would affect the country’s economy, further worsen the traffic in Metro Manila, and become a headache to businessmen in the country.”

Despite the reported efforts exerted by the government to address port congestion, Aduana Business Club (ABC) president Mary Zapata said there are no signs of improvement.

Zapata said that all the reported efforts of the Cabinet cluster on port congestion, as disclosed by the PPA, were mere words and have not materialized.

Just last week, the PPA announced that the Cabinet cluster on port congestion would be undertaking eight measures to address the problem, such as leasing a 10-hectare lot located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex that would serve as a temporary holding area for empty shipping containers.

They have also allowed the release of cargo during weekend so that 25 percent of the daily cargo volume would be let out during Saturdays and Sundays.

They are also encouraging cargo owners to utilize other nearby ports such as Batangas and Subic.

They would also transfer customs-cleared, overstaying cargo out of Manila.

The PPA said that port congestion continues to ease with yard utilization both at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and South Harbor (SH) reduced to 89 percent.

But Zapata said this was not true and that PPA has not even called for a meeting to discuss the port congestion issue.

“There has been no improvement. It is even worse, we can testify on that. We are not here to invent stories. These are just press releases, there is no realization yet. It has not been converted into action,” Zapata said.

She added that the PPA is not doing anything “despite the fact that we have been paying fees to resolve this problem. We paid the terminal handling charge, port congestion surcharge and emergency recovery surcharge which is more or less $1,300 for a 40-footer container van.”

Jeffrey Malasi of Powerlane Truckers, a member of ATOP, said that they are also protesting the alleged corruption at the ATI.

The demonstrators deployed truck drivers to distribute flyers to freight forwarders and other port users at Gates 1, 3, and 7 to inform them of the ongoing protest actions.

In order to speed up the discharge of the empty shipping containers, they have to pay about P2,000 per container van so that the waiting period would be reduced from three to five days to just 24 hours.

“There is no end to the handing out of grease money from the time we enter the gates of the dock which is being secured by guards, up to the terminals of shipping lines, until we enter the yard,” said Malasi.

Lawmaker’s proposal

Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco proposed yesterday several steps to decongest the ports of containers, including using empty and unclaimed shipping containers to be converted into classrooms and other facilities for remote areas.

Haresco, chairman of the House committee on Millennium Development Goals, said empty containers that remain unclaimed for six months or longer should be turned over to the Department of Public Works and Highways that could convert them into classrooms and other needed facilities.

Containers under investigation by the Department of Finance for over three months should be transferred to the Philippine National Police for further investigation and resolution, he said.

Regular and recurrent containers by relatively upright and listed companies like San Miguel, McDonald’s, Jollibee, PureGold, electronics and other firms should be given the fast lane, Haresco said.

He said containers for imported raw food should be sent to the Batangas City Port for redistribution to the rest of the country. With Paolo Romero