LA UNION | Ports and Shipping

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Monday, 02 May 2011 19:47 VG Cabuag / Reporter

CUSTOMS Commissioner Angelito Alvarez expects increased revenues from its San Fernando, La Union collection district after the port is set to handle containers starting this month.

“The new regime of containerization in the Port of San Fernando is expected to enhance the Ilocos Region’s attractiveness to investors and thus create opportunities for enhanced job creation that will jumpstart economic activities in the area,” Alvarez said in a statement.

The commissioner did not cite figures, but for the first three months of the year, the Bureau of Customs’ Port of San Fernando already collected P457 million, or P30 million higher than its target of P427 million.

Alvarez said to entice container ships to call San Fernando, the Poro Point Industrial Corp., a joint venture entity that has a 25-year contract as exclusive cargo handler, has offered reduced arrastre and wharfage dues, and a wide container yard that can accommodate up to 1,000 twenty-foot equivalent units on any given day, a provision for reefer containers, dangerous cargo area, stalag for motor vehicles and clearer traffic for haulers and other cargo trucks.

The Poro Point Management Corp., the management arm of the Bases Conversion Development Authority for the Poro Point Free Port Zone, meanwhile, offered a secured 10,000-square-meter adjacent lot as holding and Customs
examination area.

read more at source

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Philippine Ports statistics at this link: http://www.ppa.com.ph/Port%20Statist...nloadExcel.htm

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Putting utmost importance to environmental protection, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) responded expeditiously in the wake of the oil spill at the San Fernando Bay on February 21, 2012.

Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Francisco “Kit” C. Ortega, Jr., Chairman on Environmental Protection, Human Ecology and Security and Provincial Administrator Dr. Jeoffrey S. Tilan, chaired a multi-agency meeting held at the Diego Silang Hall of the Provincial Capitol Building on February 22, 2012. The meeting was aimed in addressing and taking prompt actions to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of the oil spill by Chevron Philippines, Inc. (CPI) and the respective actions of various stakeholders specifically national government agencies which are tasked in assisting Local Government Units (LGUs) in times of disaster.

SPM Ortega relayed Gov. Manuel C. Ortega’s call for a “win-win” approach in addressing the impacts of the oil spill. He said that expeditious actions should be done to contain it and prevent serious damages to the marine ecosystem and address possible health impacts to affected coastal barangays. Also, Dr. Tilan emphasized the creation of a task force that will handle similar incidents in the future and conduct speedy action and mitigation.

read more at Official Website of the Province of La Union

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PILIPINAS SHELL PORO PT. INSTALLATION
Poro Pt., San Fernando, La Union

source

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image hosted on flickr


Photo by: Alex Labastida via flickr

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A lady Customs officer is facing preliminary investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman for her alleged involvement in a highly irregular importation of fertilizers into the country which were not accordingly imposed with customs taxes and duties.

continue reading at source

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Philippines to raise port interconnectivity during presidential visit

THE PHILIPPINES will be firming up a proposal to develop a nautical highway system in the region during the visit of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III to China, Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel "Mar" A. Roxas II said yesterday.

Talking to reporters at the airport before departing with the presidential entourage, Mr. Roxas said a roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) system will be proposed to be established between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. He noted the target destination would be on "the coastal ports of China towards the western seaboard especially Subic and Poro Point," referring to the Subic free port and another facility in La Union province, further north.

The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity was adopted last year during the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Strategies include establishing an integrated inland waterway network as well as a maritime transport system.

"This was an initiative that the President started in his last meeting with the ASEAN leaders plus China last year so we will be taking it to the next step where we will be signing an agreement, an understanding to physically explore the setting up of this South China Sea Ro-Ro," said Mr. Roxas.

The proposed agreement, the official further said, "will just mean that both governments will now direct their appropriate agencies to undertake such steps so that whoever, whether government side or private, will want to implement this project will be clear on the rules especially for immigration, custom, and other specialized needs for international transfer of goods."

Meanwhile, among the joint agreements to be signed today in China will be investments in specific projects including shipping, geothermal and public-private partnerships, said a Trade official yesterday.

Trade Undersecretary for Industry and Investments Group Cristino L. Panlilio said that the President’s meetings with several Chinese businessmen this morning will solidify certain investments.

"The significance of this trip as I said is focused on business promotion, investment promotions. This is really a big, a major significant way of getting the focus of China," said Mr. Panlilio, based on the official transcript of a press conference on Tuesday at Traders Hotel, Beijing.

For instance, China Trend is looking into investing several million dollars into the country, said Mr. Panlilio.

"Many of these investment funds are big funds, but they’re allocating only a certain sum of money like, for example, the China-ASEAN investment fund. It’s a $1-billion fund and growing, but for the Philippines initially they are allocating only something like $200-$300 million based on the projects that they have identified which they’re already analyzing right now," said Mr. Panlilio.

In addition, he said there will be a signing of a joint agreement between the Philippine Contractors Association and its counterpart on a broad range of ventures.

"They’re looking at, one, an industrial park in Clark; they’re looking at geothermal; they’re looking at the PPP (public-private partnership). So, again, it’s a broad range…," said Mr. Panlilio.

However, the Trade official noted that meetings between Mr. Aquino and China Petroleum, as well as Sinopec, will not push through.

China Petroleum, in particular, was not "able to get their required permits in time" for the meeting, Mr. Panlilio said. -- JPDP

source link: http://www.bworldonline.com/content....visit&id=37463

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From San Fernando City and La Union Province Thread

Originally Posted by ergit222

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino left on Tuesday night for his state visit in China with the hope he and Chinese President Hu Jintao will be able to ease the ongoing tension between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea or the South China Sea.



“President Hu and I will meet to resolve the controversies in the West Philippine Sea,” President Aquino said in his departure speech before he boarded a special Philippine Airlines flight to Beijing after 6 p.m. Tuesday night.

The President said he and the Chinese President would also witness the signing of key agreements on trade, infrastructure, media exchange and economic and cultural matters.

Aquino described China as an important neighbor and expressed Manila’s intention to continue giving value to, and taking care of its ties and cooperation with Beijing.

“And like in other trips we’ve taken before, we will tell China that we have a different Philippines now, more organized, more bent on putting up reforms and it has a better investment climate…” the President said.

Among the agreements to be firmed up in the President’s visit include one that will see both nations eventually setting up a South China Sea roll of, roll on system or RORO to ensure the smooth transport of goods between them, according to Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas said.

Speaking to reporters before he left with the President and his delegation, Roxas said the agreement would pave the way for both Manila and Beijing to set up a SCS RORO by next year that would see products of the two nations being transported “from the coastal ports of China towards the (Philippines) western sea board” like in Subic, Zambales and Poro Point in La Union.

Roxas said the agreement would be important in making the Philippines “part of the manufacturing juggernaut that is China.”

But he made it clear that the agreement to be signed in Beijing would not yet see any money or contract changing hands as it would only “directly appropriate agencies to physically explore the setting up of the SCS RORO.”

“The agreement doesn’t involve only China and the Philippines but other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” he said, adding this venture was initiated by President Aquino in talks with Asean and Chinese leaders in 2010.

Asked whether the SCS roro was also called West Philippine Sea, “It’s an Asean document…we consider it as West Philippine Sea RORO.”

source

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The Port of San Fernando basically handles Bulk and Break Bulk cargoes and receives most of its containerized shipments thru transshipments. The inadequacy or limitation of the pier gives rise to a higher inland freight or transportation cost and puts the transshipped cargoes at risk from hijackers and diversion. The solution is sea-freight transport with the use of self-sustaining feeder vessels that could be accommodated by the existing piers thus lowering inland freight or transport cost and affording cheaper merchandise to the general public or constituents of Region 1.

The controversies or the intra corporate issues/disagreements hounding the port operations are now being resolved by BCDA and the regular courts. The resolutions of cases by the BCDA and regular courts shall free the litigated properties available to new stakeholders, locators, importers and exporters. In the master development plan of Poro Point Management Corporation a Cold storage facility and that of a yatch/fishing vessel manufacturer are foremost since it could serve the fresh produce storage and preservation requirement of fishermen and vegetable farmers alike, yatch/fishing vessel manufacturer with fish finder could be build and made available for loan/financing (bank) to fishermen cooperatives.

This cluster approach for economic development thru the containerization of the seaport and international operations of the airport, and development of TPLEX in consonance with the Anti-poverty campaign (MDG) of the Aquino administration shall boost prosperity, business development, progress and tourism for region 1.

The containerization project aims to lower transport cost (35%) by substituting inland transport/freight to sea-freight (cost saving in terms of freight change). It is estimated that 10-15% of the 75,000 combined containerized cargoes in the Port of Manila and Manila International Container Port are intended for Region 1 and if directly transported instead of transshipped from manila would generate almost half a billion pesos in monthly revenues at an average Php 65,000 D/T per container. The direct importation thru containerization shall likewise be a stimulus to other businesses who are reliant with other importers (manila based) to be direct importers (local) themselves with regards to their merchandise and raw material importation requirements and could lead to expansion either thru direct import (consumption) or warehousing system. This shall not only result to additional generated revenues but increase in business activity (Mama Sita’s, Ayala Call Center, Cold Storage Facility, Retail Outlets, Food, Lodging and Entertainment establishment etc.) resulting to job generation (conservative estimate 15,000 to 20,000). The estimated transition period is from six (6) months to two (2) years.

read more at : www.sanfernandocustoms.net

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source: http://www.bcda.gov.ph/news_articles/show/183

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Incorporated in 1995, Silver Duck Shipping Corporation (SDSC) acts as an agent for seagoing vessels mainly of foreign registry. It handles the port and customs requirements, loading, unloading, and warehousing of cargoes, caters to the needs of the vessels, e.g., bunkering, repair assistance, food and crew requests, and other ship chandling activities.

With offices located at the Port of San Fernando, La Union, SDSC has two (2) warehouses comprising a total of more than 3,000 square meters. The total value of goods stored in both warehouses averages PHP 200,000,000.
SDSC core competence is in the efficient handling of the port and customs requirements of cargoes and other vessel needs. The office is manned 24 hours by experienced personnel conversant in several major foreign languages.

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just photographed this article from The Northluzonian Corner Newspaper Tabloid.





the author of the opinion said there is a dispute between BCDA and PPIC that's why after BCDA was created 20 years ago and after they had a contract with PPIC to manage the seaport for 25 years signed last 1999, their is still no development at the Seaport. the author also said na yung Soiltech ay nag-dodock pa sa Subic instead sa Poro at sayang pa ang milyones na kikitain pa sana ng Poro Seaport roon at napakasayang raw iyon. Sinabi rin ng author na sana ay makialam na sa isyung ito si Cong. VCO para maidulog sa Malacañang ang problemang ito

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By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News April 12, 2012 3:58pm

UPDATED 4:40 p.m.) - After a two-day standoff with China, the Philippines appeared to blink, as it ordered its largest warship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, to leave the disputed Panatag Shoal on Thursday for unexplained “operational” reasons. But the Philippine frigate was "relieved" by a smaller Coast Guard boat.

It came a day after the Chinese embassy in Manila issued a statement on behalf of its government demanding that the battleship leave the area.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the warship was no longer in the area of the rocky sandbar where 12 Chinese fishing vessels and two Chinese surveillance ships were confronted for two days by the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which was headed for Poro Point in La Union to the north as of Thursday afternoon. Panatag Shoal is about 200 kilometers west of Subic Bay.

read more here


mapicturan ko nga bukas.

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Star Northern Luzon Facebook

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Photo by: Raffy Tima


reposted from this thread

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Another ship is approaching Poro Point

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At San Fernando Bay, Poro Point