THIRD QUARTER 2005

PORT STATISTICAL REVIEW

According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) report, the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the subject quarter depreciated to 4.1 percent, from 6.2 percent in 2004. The resulting figure was attributed to the dual or combined appreciation of oil and consumer prices together with the slow performance of the farm sector and heightened political instability. However, this gloomy trade and industry scenario was somehow overshadowed by a robust result of Net Factor Income from Abroad (NFIA) which rose to a high 38.7 percent, thus contributing to the acceleration of the Gross National Product (GNP) to 6.5 percent, from the previous year’s 5.7 percent.

Services sector remained strong in the third quarter at a contributed share of 48.1 percent of the GDP, and translated into a 2.40% percentage points to the GDP growth. Overall, all sub-sectors of Services recorded lower growths except Finance which posted a two-digit uptrend.

Comprising 17.5 percent of total GDP, Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (AFF) pointed a 0.32 percentage point to total GDP growth recorded by its major contributors: Corn, Fishery, Livestock and Banana.

Meanwhile, the Industry sector scooped 34.3 percent of the GDP and listed 1.35 percentage points to total GDP growth. Its two sub-sectors, Manufacturing and Mining and Quarrying directed the sector’s overall strength.

Sea commerce, spearheaded by the ports geographically located nationwide through identified performance indicators, namely cargo throughput, container traffic, vessel traffic and passenger number has not gained momentum thus contributing to lackluster performance of the Philippine economy for the third quarter 2005. All posting negative growths, the impact was strongly manifested physically, as the passenger traffic registered a strong 12% setback from a negligible 1.25 % plunge computed for the same quarter, 2004 versus 2003.

Quarterly Summary Figures

Cargo Throughput (in million m.t.) 39.01

Domestic …………………………19.67

Foreign ………………………… 19.34

Import ……………12.79

Export ……………. 6.55

Container Traffic (in TEU) 937,398

Domestic ……………………….429,353

Foreign …………………………508,045

Import …………..251,863

Export …………..256,182

Ship Traffic (number of shipcalls) 76,202

Domestic ……………………….73,770

Foreign ………………………… 2,432

Passenger Traffic (in millions) 9.80

Disembarked ……………………..4.97

Embarked ……………………… 4.83

CARGO THROUGHPUT

By cargo throughput, a total of 39 million metric tons was shipped in and out of the Philippine ports located nationwide for the closing of third quarter 2005. A negative growth of 3.96 % was computed from the year on year level of 40.61 million metric tons. Domestic trade, reaching 19.67 million metric tons generated a gross decrease of six percent over the same period total of 20.84 million metric tons. Foreign trade, on the other hand, noted at 19.34 million metric tons, reflected a parallel decline equivalent to two percent vis-a-vis a year ago level of 19.76 million metric tons.

In terms of cargo handling, port district office Manila/Northern Luzon, maintained the topmost position at 17 million metric tons, or an equivalent to forty three percent of the nationwide cargo throughput. Billing at second highest carrying location was port district office Northern Mindanao listing a total load of 7.25 million metric tons and representing an almost nineteen percent of the overall cargo tonnages. Following in at the third slot was port district office Southern Luzon which carried 6.60 million metric tons, or seventeen percent of the total cargo pie. Port district offices Visayas and Southern Mindanao came in succession of 4.81 and 3.33 million metric tons cargo haul. When compared to the year- ago cargo tonnages, all the port district offices posted a downtrend, ranging from a high 8 percent (Visayas) to a very low 0.27 percent (Southern Mindanao).

By port classification, cargo distribution for July to September 2005 posted its distribution share in the government and private ports at 44:56 ratio. Conversely, government ports carried a moderate 17 million metric tons cargo shipments, while private ports processed a sound 22 million metric tons cargo load.

The top five most busiest cargo carrying ports throughout the country were: Batangas, 4.95 million metric tons; Limay, 4.46 million metric tons; Cagayan de Oro, 4.33 million metric tons; North Harbor, 4.13 million metric tons; MICT Field Office, 3.83 million metric tons and South Harbor, 3.61 million metric tons. Summing up, total cargo handled in these ports was a hefty fifty six percent. The remaining throughput was handled in almost equal tonnages in other ports except for Davao and Ormoc which carried a total load of 2.02 and 1.26 million metric tons, respectively. Low tonnages, on the other hand, were seen in the ports of Cotabato, Calapan, Dumaguete and Nasipit recorded at 0.02, 0.31, 0.34 and 0.39 million metric tons, respectively.

Top commodity boosters for July to September which mostly came from foreign transactions were coconut oil, crude petroleum, corn, palay and rice, and wheat.

Classified to be top losers for this quarter were mainly local goods such as cement, chemicals, bottled cargo, fruits and vegetables, animal feeds and RO-RO cargoes.

CONTAINER TRAFFIC

For July to September 2005, the listed number of container movement via water transport was 937,398 TEUs. This figure registered a four percent decrease from the previous year’s container count of 979,740 TEUs. By type of trade, foreign container shipments, listed at 508,045 TEUs, generated a five percent downswing relative to last year’s foreign container yield of 432,956 units. A correlated negative trend of four percent was posted by the domestic container flow of 429,353 as against last year’s 446,784 TEU level.

Container movements for the quarter end in review, was led by foreign servicing container terminal of Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and South Harbor, both under the port district office of Manila/Northern Luzon. Showing a total tow of 301,626 and 166,273 TEUs, respectively, these figures accounted for a ninety two percent share of the foreign tab. Similarly, the combined domestic and foreign TEU counts from these ports represented a hefty fifty six percent of the overall national container count. MICT posted a 7 percent drop while South Harbor reflected a 6 percent rise from last year’s tally of 324,773 TEUs and 210,730 TEUs, respectively.

On the other hand, the domestic scenario was overruled by Manila/Northern Luzon’s North Harbor at 145,726 TEUs but the level showed a downward size of 10 % from the same period last year’s count of 161,398. South Harbor, handling 56,706 container tally presented a 7% upswing as compared to last year’s 52,996 container vans. Following in at third slot was Cagayan de Oro from Northern Mindanao at 47,859 TEUs. Meanwhile, Davao of PDO Southern Mindanao managed to handle 44,095 twenty footer vans. Collectively, the foregoing-named ports captured the local container trade as represented by its haul of the sixty six percent of the domestic pie.

VESSEL TRAFFIC

At the closing of Q3 2005, a total of 76,202 shipcalls was manifested nationwide posting a minimal 2% slowdown vis-a-vis last year’s figure of 77,409 vessels. Domestic calls registered at 73,770 listed a parallel downtick of 2% while foreign vessels, recorded at 2,432 reflected a negligible three percent downslide versus the previous year’s record of 75,409 and 2,517 vessels, respectively.

Sixty nine percent of the vessels were registered in the government ports. Almost thirty one percent of the shipcalls were listed in the private ports. Retaining its slot in the topmost, port district office Visayas maneuvered 35% of the total vessel count, port district office Southern Luzon serviced 23% of the overall shipcalls, and port district Northern Mindanao office handled 18%. Posting fifteen percent and nine percent, the rest of the vessels were manifested in port district offices of Southern Mindanao and Manila/Northern Luzon, respectively.

PASSENGER TRAFFIC

Incoming and outgoing passengers via regular harbor and ferry routes for the quarter end in review reached 9.80 million giving a notable 12% drop from the same quarter of last year’s total of 11.09 million passengers. A large majority or eighty one percent of the sea passengers for July to September passed through government ports. An acceptable share, equivalent to nineteen percent, on the other hand, was accommodated by the private ports.

Passenger throughput was manifested highest, as ever, in the port district office Visayas at 3.44 million, or thirty five percent of the total passenger count. Claiming twenty one percent of the total sea commuters, port district office Northern Mindanao placed second in passenger traffic performance catering to 2.08 million people during the quarter end in review. Closely following at third position was port district office Southern Luzon which serviced the twenty percent tab of commuting public at 2.01 million passengers. Port district office Southern Mindanao listed 1.52 million water travelers, or fifteen percent of the total, and port district office Northern Luzon was able to direct 0.75 million passengers, a far eight percent of the combined incoming and outgoing marine trekkers.

By a single port trend, the most commonly passed routes, ranking from first to tenth, were the waters of Zamboanga, with a manifested passenger total of 1.01 million; Tagbilaran, at 0.80 million disembarking and embarking passengers; Ozamiz with 0.71 million water travelers; Calapan at 0.70 million commuters; Legazpi holding 0.63 million passengers; Batangas, with a passenger list of 0.62 million; Dumaguete and Pulupandan, with a posted 0.61 million sea commuters each; Iloilo at 0.53 million passengers; Iligan at ninth place with 0.52 million incoming and outgoing travelers; and Ormoc handling 0.45 million commuters.

As compared to a year ago level, Zamboanga maintained its topmost slot in passenger handling for the period under review. Exemplary changes in the ranking from the previous year was observed towards the end of this quarter, as Tagbilaran was accelerated to the second place from its 3^rd position the previous year. Another surprising result was that of Ozamiz which took over the third highest passenger port versus its fifth slot last year. Calapan, on the other hand, rose from the seventh role replacing Batangas in the fourth space, and Legazpi surfaced in the fifth line, one step ahead from the sixth rank for same period last year. Conversely, Batangas ranked sixth, followed by Dumaguete and Pulupandan, both in the seventh place. Together, Iloilo and Iligan moved up by one step from ninth and tenth seats last year; and Ormoc surpassed Davao in the tenth position for the quarter end in review as against its eleventh position the previous year.