The move also complements the initiatives being undertaken
by PPA’s international partners such as shipping lines to reduce greenhouse
gases (GHG) emitted by ships as well as port equipment to a more manageable
level.
“We are now shifting our focus towards sustainable port
operations to reduce our carbon footprint similar to the initiatives being
undertaken by our foreign counterparts,” said Jay Daniel R. Santiago, General
Manager of the PPA.
“Since 2016, we have continuously laid down the groundworks
and implemented various measures for these ‘Green Port’ initiatives, and now is
the time to take more advanced steps towards mitigating climate change.
“With the continued guidance of the Department of
Transportation Secretary Art Tugade, more environment-friendly PPA ports will
be seen soon.”
Under the port authority, the Cagayan de Oro Port (CDO) and
Batangas Port have received multiple citations from the Green Ports Award
System (GPAS) from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), leading the
sustainability efforts.
“We want to duplicate the initiatives of our CDO and
Batangas Port with the remaining ports under our network,” continued Santiago.
“To do this, we activated a team specifically tasked to guarantee compliance to
this APEC GPAS scheme.”
Previously, the Philippine Ports Authority has warned
importers and exporters in the country to make “necessary operational
adjustments” to limit the impact of upcoming delays caused by the latest
outbreak of COVID-19 in China and the subsequent closure of the Port of
Ningbo-Zhoushan.
Announced in August 2021, the port authority said early
preparation is key to reducing the negative impact of delays in daily
operations and will allow for greater flexibility.