MICT holds carriers forum
Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) recently held a forum for carriers to strengthen stakeholder collaboration and enhance the terminal’s resilience through strategic partnerships with shipping lines.
Nicolette Ong, MICT commercial head, welcomed guests and delivered the opening remarks. She noted that the forum was the first working session in recent years and marked a significant step in aligning with carrier partners. It also signaled the resumption of regular working sessions, which will be a platform for knowledge exchange and addressing challenges.
Angeli Cuevas, sales and marketing section head, followed with a presentation on the terminal’s capabilities, capacity, and expansion roadmap. She detailed MICT’s modernization program from 2024 to 2027, which includes investments in near-zero-emission rubber-tired gantry cranes, the expansion of the prime mover fleet with electric trucks, additional reefer plugs, new truck entry gates, and remotely controlled quay cranes—all aimed at improving operational efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Santiago Fuentes, terminal operations head, presented the operations teams' organization structure and the agenda of the forum: vessel arrival performance, berthing performance, vessel standby and delays, vessel structural challenges, terminal controls, recommendations, and system enhancements.
Tilos Arcenas, landside operations head, presented MICT’s improved operational performance and noted increased crane and berth productivity compared to the previous year.
Spearheading the discussion on terminal controls, MICT Executions Head Alexander Laliag identified factors behind vessel standby and delays and recommended strategies to optimize vessel and container handling efficiency while Theodore Guinto Jr., yard planning head, highlighted the upgrades to the gate systems, improvements to Navis, and other investments to further streamline operations.
The forum also featured the launch of the MICT Docs Request Portal, designed to simplify shipping lines’ interaction with the terminal. The portal enables more seamless and intuitive request submissions, provides real-time status updates, maintains historical records, and offers simplified data management.
The forum concluded with a question-and-answer session to address other stakeholder concerns.
