Typhoon hit port gets assistance

At the bequest of the Filippino Department for Transportation (DOTC) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), ICTSI has signed a relief support agreement to help get the port back to being fully operational.

“We have been working round-the-clock with DOTC and PPA to get this project running at the quickest time possible,” said Christian R Gonzalez, ICTSI head of Asia region.

ICTSI is deploying various cargo handling equipment at the port worth over PhP200m following the mass destruction caused by the typhoon.

Equipment includes a brand new mobile harbour crane (MHC), already being commissioned in Davao for deployment to Leyte if required.

The operator has also despatched a team of engineers and operations managers and staff from ICTSI’s flagship operation, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) to help support port operations.

At the same time it has also opened up its container freight station facilities at MICT to the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) for use as a relief operations centre for aid coming into the Port of Manila. It’s partly manned by ICTSI volunteers.

The ICTSI Foundation has also spearheaded its own fundraising and aid collection campaign which will be used to augment relief efforts and help in the rehabilitation programme.

ICTSI will continue to run the Tacloban port free of charge until the end of the relief programme and the normal transportation network has been restored, at which time the operator will take back all of its personnel and equipment.