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Philippine ports recorded higher cargo, container, roll-on/roll-off, and passenger traffic in the first nine months of the year
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Ports under PPA jurisdiction handled 239.906 million metric tons of cargo in the first three quarters, up 2.76% year-on-year due to higher foreign cargo volumes
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For this year, PPA targets cargo volumes to hit 320.94 million mt, 4% higher than 308.5 million metric tons in 2025
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Container traffic grew 1.26% to 6.482 million TEUs with both foreign and domestic volumes growing
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Ro-Ro traffic improved 3.96% to 10.157 million units while passenger traffic slightly increased 0.96% to 63.747 million passengers
Philippine ports recorded higher cargo, container, roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro), and passenger traffic in the first nine months of the year, according to data provided by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
Ports under PPA jurisdiction handled 239.906 million metric tons (mt) of cargo in the first three quarters, up 2.76% from 233.466 million mt in the same period last year due to higher foreign cargo volumes.
Of the total, international cargoes accounted for 64.9% or 155.727 million mt, 2.76% higher than 147.571 million mt in the first nine months of last year.
Domestic cargo shift to Ro-Ro service
Domestic cargoes, on the other hand, dropped 2% to 84.179 million mt from 85.895 million mt.
PPA assistant general manager for operations Mark Jon Palomar, in a press briefing on October 21, said one of the possible reasons for the decline is a “shift” to the utilization of Ro-Ro instead of the usual containers/breakbulk.
“Our domestic logistics has evolved from actually having the vessel handle it as container or breakbulk, now cargo is being loaded on to trucks that board (roll on-roll off ships),” Palomar explained in mixed English and Filipino.
Roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic improved 3.96% in the first nine months of the year to 10.157 million units from 9.77 million units year on year.
Inbound Ro-Ro traffic increased 3.94% year-on-year to 5.088 million units while outbound traffic was 3.99% higher year-on-year to 5.069 million units.
PPA earlier this year said Ro-Ro traffic is projected to grow by 6.15% in 2026, reflecting sustained demand for cost effective transport solutions that connect the islands and empower Filipino enterprises.
READ: PH ports handle 3.2% more cargo in first half 2026
For this year, PPA targets cargo volumes to hit 320.94 million mt, 4% higher than the 308.5 million metric tons recorded in 2025.
Container traffic from January to September 2026 grew 1.26% to 6.482 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from 6.401 million TEUs in the same period last year.
Foreign containers hiked 1.8% to 4.256 million TEUs from 4.151 million TEUs while domestic containers rose 0.27% to 2.256 million TEUs from 2.25 million TEUs.
Passenger traffic, meanwhile, slightly grew 0.96% to 63.747 million from 63.138 million, as both disembarked and embarked traffic improved 1.32% and 0.55%, respectively. Cruise passenger traffic also expanded 12.8% to 166,612 from 147,711 last year.
Ship calls, on another note, dropped 3.51% to 485,472 vessels from 503,126 vessels in the first nine months of last year.
Domestic ship calls, which account for majority of the total, fell 3.54% year-on-year to 477,049 vessels while foreign ship calls decreased 1.76% year-on-year to 8,423.
