SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Subic Bay Freeport’s New Container Terminal-2 (NCT-2) has been formally assigned as an extension of the Port of Manila as part of government efforts to solve cargo congestion in Manila.
This developed as executives of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that took effect Sept.12.
The MOA was signed by SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia and PPA General Manager Juan Sta. Ana. Under the agreement, NCT-2 will be known as “Subic Bay Freeport-Manila Port Extension” and will be used to load, unload or transship containerized cargoes with Manila as port of destination, origin, or transshipment, but which cannot be accommodated in either the Manila International Container Port (MICP) or the South Harbor.
Garcia said the SBMA will retain the right to collect fees from the ships and containerized cargoes under this agreement, as well as to reject any cargo or ship that may pose risks to the health, environment, and security of inhabitants and stakeholders of the Subic Freeport.
In a briefing, Garcia told reporters that the Port of Manila presently has about 4,000 container vans declared as overstaying, thereby exacerbating congestion in the country’s major port. Garcia said that to help solve the problem, it was agreed upon that a ferry will start shipping the overstaying containers from Manila to Subic twice a week, or more frequently as needed.
For this, SBMA will charge the consignees P1,000 per twenty-footer container a day. However, starting October, the fee will be raised to P5,000 a day to force consignees to pick up their cargoes and to bring them out of Subic, the SBMA official explained.
“After the Bureau of Customs has inspected, cleared, and issued release documents for the container, the consignee should immediately remove it from NCT-2, otherwise a penalty of P5,000 a day will be charged against him,” said Garcia.
