PPA suspends implementation of monitoring system amid protests

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) suspended the implementation of its new monitoring system in ports due to protests from several groups.

According to Dano Tingcungco’s “24 Oras” report on Wednesday, the PPA suspended the implementation after several business groups submitted a letter to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to postpone its rollout.

The trusted operator program container registry monitoring system and empty container storage shared service facility are new projects which will monitor the entry and exit of shipping containers in ports.

This was agreed by the PPA board, according to its general manager Jay Santiago.

“Ang inilahad na rason kailangan daw pag-aralan pang mabuti and admittedly, I think dahil daw maraming oposisyon kasama doon sa sinasabing oposisyon yung open letter,” Santiago said.

Several business groups said the new project is a duplication or repetition of the current system implemented by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

They said that this will not only slow down the processing of shipping containers but will also increase the logistics cost of importing products that can also hike the price of goods.

The PPA, however, said that the monitoring system will lessen the expenses.

Under the monitoring system, the container deposit fee of P10,000 to P30,000 will be removed.  PPA will instead charge a flat rate of P980 insurance per container.

“Meron po silang dini-dispute na isa pa po yung tinatawag na empty container handling charge which is P3,520 na sinasabi nilang dagdag. Yan po ay kasalukuyang binabayaran naman na po ng mga nagsosoli ng container. Amounts to as high or at the very least P6,400. Ang mangyayari po doon, ipapasok na so we eliminate yung turn backs nung mga empty containers, we eliminate road traffic,” Santiago said.

The containers will be booked in an accredited container port and will be monitored by the PPA to ensure that there will be less congestion.

The PPA said it will continue to study the new monitoring system.

GMA Integrated News is still trying to get the side of the business groups opposed to the new system.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA Integrated News