The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said that they are coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) in inspecting and monitoring overstaying containers in ports.
In a media briefing in Malacañang on Monday, September 23, 2024, Santiago assured that there is no shipment congestion in the ports. According to Santiago, they have identified 888 overstaying containers which have been cleared by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for pullout by consignees.
According to the BOC, there is a 30-day limit with the rice containers. Any overstaying rice containers will be declared as abandoned goods if consignees fail to pull them out after the declared time limit.
“Sa part ng PPA po, gusto lamang naming i-assure ang sambayanan na wala po tayong currently nai-experience na port congestion po sa ating mga pantalan. At iyon pong ating pag-iinspeksyon noong nakaraang linggo ay bilang tugon po sa pag-reach out ng Department of Agriculture sa Philippine Ports Authority na makatulong po sa pagmo-monitor po ng shipments ng mga bigas na dumadaan sa aming mga pantalan,” he said.
Around 300 overstaying rice containers were pulled out by the consignees over the weekend. Santiago added that they are looking forward to reducing the number of rice containers until the end of the month.
Moreover, the DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said that the Bureau of Plant Industry will check some of the containers to monitor rice food safety.
The coordination between PPA and the DA will also strengthen the monitoring process with other commodities like pork, chicken, and onions. The agreement was made to ensure that shipment mishaps for the mentioned commodities also happen.
