PPA sails through 50 years with more projects, ports

FIFTY years since its creation, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) continued its legacy of proper regulation and supervision of Philippine ports, ensuring that every vessel that would go out in the sea and every port constructed and maintained has been well accounted for and safe for Filipinos. The creation of PPAPrior to its creation, PPA was merged with the Bureau of Customs (BoC) while port maintenance was handled by the Bureau of Public Works. The number of national, municipal and private ports then prompted authorities to consider creating a separate regulation body. The BoC proposed creating a new body, centered on port operations, port development and maintenance, and cargo handling to allow the bureau to focus its resources on tax and customs duties. The realized that it would, indeed, be beneficial for the entire country to have a separate port authority. Thus, PPA was born on July 11, 1974 by virtue of the Presidential Decree (PD) 505, which was later amended into PD 857. According to PD 857, the functions of PPA would include coordinating with the National Economic and Development Authority to formulate the Port Development Plan; supervising, controlling, regulating, constructing, maintaining, operating and providing facilities and services to ports; prescribing rules and regulations, procedures and guidelines regarding the establishment, construction, maintenance and operation of ports; and licensing, controlling, regulating, supervising construction or structures within the Port District, among others. Further amendments granted PPA other special functions such as police authority through Executive Order 513, the creation of the National Ports Advisory Council and undertaking port construction, which originally belonged to the Department of Public Works and Highways. Projects and recognitionsUp to this day, PPA continued to generate projects and construct new ports to better serve the public and properly regulate the port system of the country. In fact, PPA was recognized for its excellent performance at the 2024 government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) Day by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The president expressed his optimism that GOCCs would surpass the dividends remitted this year.Last year, PPA remitted P5.06 billion as cash dividends. Because of this, it was recognized as one of the leading dividend contributors, ranking itself fourth in the highest dividend contributor. PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said: "We are, again, making history with our highest dividend contribution so far. If you remember, since 2016, our dividend started at P1.96 billion. Every year it increased, and now we have P5 billion. This proves that we mean serious business in PPA."PPA had been consistently improving its services, which garnered accolades in the international level. Last March 16, the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) unloaded its 50 millionth twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU). TEU was a unit of measurement for cargo capacity of terminals and container ships. With the unloading of its 50 millionth TEU, MICT had shown its strong logistical capacity and stellar infrastructure and machinery capable of delivering goods and services in a safe and secure manner. MICT was also the first port managed by PPA to reach this amount of TEU, highlighting the facility as an important player in improving international trade and supply chain networks. The Port of Davao also saw significant improvement in its TEU, rising to 0.1 percent. Santiago congratulated International Container Terminal Services Inc. Vice President Christian Gonzales, operator of MICT, and Ocean Network Express Philippines Managing Director Jose Juan Lacson, operator of MV Seabreeze, for the achievement. "The growth in container volume — as shown in the figures — translates into better development for the economy, creating a ripple effect in all sectors," Santiago said.PPA also involved itself with helpful initiatives that benefited the community and the country. During Earth Day 2024, PPA announced that it successfully planted 4 million seedlings and mangroves in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This showed PPA's commitment to address the looming problem of climate change and created action toward solving it.By virtue of the Administrative Order 014-2020, titled the "Mandatory Tree and/or Mangrove Planting as a Condition for the Issuance of Accreditation, Certificate of Registration, Appointment, or Award of Contract, or Renewal/Extension Thereof," PPA acquired accreditation certificate and other relevant documents to allow the condition to plant at least 1,000 trees or mangrove seedlings. Since then, PPA surpassed that count with 3,909,608 seedlings, as reported by the Port Management Offices (PMOs). Aside from that, PPA showed support to the National Greening Program as part of its corporate social responsibility. In pursuit of better tourism opportunities in the Philippines, PPA ensured safe and convenient travel for 4,000 foreign tourists aboard the MV Westerdam and MV Norwegian Jewel. The two vessels successfully docked at Pier 15, Manila South Harbor, on February 26, carrying tourists, who were eager to see the wonders of the country. To ensure that the tourists would get a memorable and hassle-free experience, PPA convened days prior to discuss the tourists' pre-arrival procedure. Fifty buses were prepared for the tourists' exciting journey to Manila and Tagaytay. The PMO also prepared a traffic flow plan, securing a smooth ride for the tourists. The PPA's meticulous planning and thoughtful action showed how the agency prioritized economic growth through tourism assistance. The Manila International Container Terminal unloads its 50 millionth 20-foot equivalent unit, a testament to its strong logistic capacity and cargo size, and making it an important player in international trade. PHOTO FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL SERVICES INC. Last year, 164 cruise ships with 80,000 passengers from various shipping companies, including Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Seabourn Encore, Queen Elizabeth, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Coral Adventure, Oceania Cruises, Blue Dream Cruise, MSC Poesia, Silverseas, MS Seven Seas Explorer and Windstar Cruises visited the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines was able to clinch the Asia's Best Cruise Destination 2023 at the World Cruise Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This award showed another testament to PPA's commitment to create a cruise experience that would be considered world-class and memorable not only for the foreign tourists but for the Filipino people it served. PPA was bullish in its projection of foreign visitors this year: more or less 132 cruise ships, carrying 100,000 passengers. Santiago said in Filipino: "The success of this tour proves that if there is discipline and cooperation between all involved personnel and cruise ship members to comply with the agenda of the pre-arrival meeting, our processes can run smoothly without any problems. This is not the first time that the PPA successfully handled two cruise ships at once. We always try to make sure that the docking of these ships, carrying our visitors from other countries, will be seamless." Improved ports and facilitiesIn April, Santiago also announced the ambitious plan of enacting more projects and opening more ports for the rest of the year. Some of these were cruise-dedicated passenger terminals in Siargao; Coron, Palawan; Currimao, Ilocos Norte; Salomague, Ilocos Sur; Buruanga, Aklan; and Camiguin. PPA also planned to construct passenger terminal buildings (PTBs) as well as expanding existing buildings such as the one in Zamboanga and Batangas. Santiago said these buildings would sport architectural designs that would reflect the culture of the province, where it would be constructed. Not only would this honor the Filipino heritage and culture but it would also entice tourists, who were coming from these PTBs, to the rich Filipino culture.With these new projects, PPA was expecting to attract more than 300,000 tourists. These projects were expected to be completed within the year.Marcos said: "I am certain that not only will these facilities ensure a safe and comfortable travel for tourists, but it will also encourage other travelers in the Philippines through these modern facilities. For this, we have to commend the [PPA] and the Department of Transportation for accomplishing together this important project, and delivering what we have promised to the people."The facilities would also contribute to major economic growth, particularly in providing employment. Santiago said in Filipino: "Our passenger terminals are getting bigger and so will our capacity to accept passengers. Because of this, we are looking at a 300-percent increase in our revenue. Second, we can see that we will contribute to the local economy, especially [that] our terminals will house food kiosks. We will, therefore, accommodate more services and businesses, and this can help our local community." PPA also coordinated with the Maritime Industry Authority regarding the number of vessels that could be accommodated in the ports as it observed the increasing number of passengers using these services. PPA was keen on working toward making this ambition a reality. One of the planned passenger terminal buildings opened in Batangas on April 26. President Marcos was present during the event to launch the PTB, which connected mainland Luzon to Region 4B. The 1.5-hectare facility was managed by PPA under the terminal operator, Asian Terminals Inc.Santiago said: "Batangas port is one of the busiest terminals, where during peak seasons, we accommodate up to 22,000 passengers in a single day. The limited space of the terminal has always been a concern in the past; that's why we expanded it from 2,500-passenger capacity to 8,000-passenger capacity at the Batangas [PTB]. This is now our largest terminal."The Batangas PTB was planned in 2020 and construction commenced a year after. The first phase was completed in 2022 while the second phase was completed earlier this year. Previously, PPA also built a multilevel car storage facility in 2018, which was capable of accommodating 13,00 vehicles. Some of the improvements that PPA made for the PTB were fully air-conditioned lounges, baggage x-ray machines, facilities for the elderly and persons with disabilities, extensive closed-circuit television coverage and walk-through metal detectors. Not only did these improvements provide a comfortable area for passengers but it ensured their safety as well. "With the completion of this building, we now have an all-year clean and comfortable terminal for all travelers from all over the world," the President said in his speech during its launch. "Therefore, today's activity is not only a reaffirmation of its importance but as a vote of confidence in the entire Southern Tagalog, Bicol and Mimaropa's promising and positive future," he added.PPA officially opened the Jose Panganiban Port Improvement project in Bicol on June 19 with a groundbreaking ceremony under the leadership of Santiago. With this, PPA showed its commitment to modernization and improvement of ports for better maritime trade locally and internationally. Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago leads the inauguration of the Jose Panganiban Port improvement project alongside officials of Camarines Norte and Sen. Robinhood Padilla. The port is expected to aid the delivery of local goods to other countries as well. FILE PHOTO The event was attended by officials of Camarines Norte, Bicol and Sen. Robinhood Padilla. Located in Barangay Osmeña, the port carried out export cargo operations. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Padilla expressed his gratitude and said in Filipino: "I would like to acknowledge [PPA] today. Thank you. The citizens of Camarines Norte will never forget this. It pains me to say this, but Camarines Norte is often neglected. That is why I want to express my gratitude for recognizing the importance of this province. You are the first agency to give us hope, and allow us to believe that we can develop further."Santiago added: "The Jose Panganiban port will be a big help to the citizens of Camarines Norte. It is an ideal logistics hub due to its strategic location between Bicol Region and the National Capital Region. The local products from Camarines Norte now have a bridge in the form of this port, and it will give them an opportunity to ship outside the country as well."During the pandemic, the port was able to deliver 8,673 metric tons (MT) of foreign cargo. With the improvements in the port, it was expected to deliver 18,516 MT of foreign cargo. Local products that were expected to be shipped were coconut by-products, copra, iron ore and silica. PPA remained standing after 50 years of carefully regulating, maintaining and improving Philippine ports and other related facilities. The agency played a crucial role in uplifting the economy through seamless trade and tourism. While doing so, the agency stood as a beacon of guidance, akin to a lighthouse in the lone sea, as it helped those at the waters foster more connections with other countries and assured them a safe and steady voyage in the waters of the country.