The Davao Region gets close to achieving a competitive advantage on shipping of export and import products now that the construction of the P2.7-billion Davao International Container Terminal (DICT) has started.
Port operator San Vicente Terminal and Brokerage Services, Inc., managed by Antonio Floirendo Corporation (ANFLOCOR), officially broke ground yesterday, May 18, the construction of DICT designed to become the “most modern” container terminal in Mindanao.
ANFLOCOR President and Chief Executive Officer Alexander N. Valoria pictured the container facility to be fully computerized to manage loading and unloading of as much as 200,000 container vans as its maximum capacity.
“How would you imagine managing such volume without (electronic) software?” he said in an interview during the ceremonial dropping of the time capsule at Barangay San Pedro, Panabo City where ANFLOCOR builds the DICT.
Targeted to get completely done and be made operational by the second quarter of 2013, DICT is designed to have two ship-to-shore cranes, serving gearless vessels, and that it would be equipped with state-of -the art terminal operating system to ensure faster vessel turn-around time.
Valoria looks at DICT as the factor that paves the way for Davao Region, and Mindanao in general, to build “global competitiveness,” providing exporters and importers a cost efficient way of shipping their products.
“This will spur further the growth and development of Mindanao,” he said.
“This is the good news that President (Benigno S.) Aquino (III) is looking for,” he added referring to the recent visit of the President Aquino on May 14 in Davao City.
In a separate interview during the same event, master mariner Capt. Jose Panares of Tom Shipping Management confirmed that indeed the period of loading and unloading of products would matter in cost-efficient shipping.
He said small international container vessel usually charges $12,000 per day while others are charging $22,000 per day or more.
“Delays in unloading would mean additional charges of shipping,” he said as he revealed that cargo vessels calling at international ports in other countries only take eight to 10 hours in unloading or loading cargoes.
On the other hand, Port of Davao Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief of staff Atty. Edward Dybuco looked at the ANFLOCOR container facility as an attraction to investors that would eventually lead to a more vibrant export/import industry.
He also considered DICT as a good alternate container terminal of Sasa Wharf (in Davao City), providing ease in traffic of cargo vessels calling at Sasa Wharf.
With the foreseen bulk of cargoes coming in and out of Davao ports including that in DICT, Dybuco assured the public of BOC’s capacity to handle well the cargo inspection.
It will be putting up an extension office at DICT, equipped with an x-ray machine but Dybuco expected other government port agencies to work with BOC to handle the task of checking shipped cargoes.
Metaphil President and Chief Executive Officer Napoleon Pe Jr. in a separate interview bared the DICT construction to need 350 workers at the peak of the construction period, which is projected to happen in August this year.
Pe said a number of those workers will be hired are construction helpers whom Metaphil will be recruiting locally, giving priority to residents of Panabo City.
“Because it will be very costly for us to bring in our own workers,” he told the media. Metaphil brought in only highly technical employees and construction managers.
Pe expects the construction helpers to develop skills they would be learning from colleagues.
“They enter without skills but they would be leaving with skills that would make them much better paid,” he said.
Metaphil will also be locally hiring welders, scaffolders and erectors including office workers.
Source: PIA