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Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno declares port congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport officially over as of August 28
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Recovery credited to coordinated push by Bureau of Customs, Paircargo, and industry stakeholders to clear warehouse backlogs
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Texas Instruments, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, and other major industry groups thank BOC for direct, urgent intervention
“I’m happy to declare officially that the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) port congestion is finally over!” With that pronouncement on August 28, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno put an end to months of warehouse backlogs and clearance delays that had rattled the Philippines’ electronics and semiconductor supply chains.
Normal cargo operations have now been restored at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said in a statement, following a sustained push by BOC, People’s Air Cargo & Warehousing Co., Inc. (Paircargo), and industry stakeholders to untangle the congestion.
The crisis had been building for months. Air cargo warehouse congestion at NAIA took a toll on the Philippines’ semiconductor industry earlier this year, with one global technology company suspending production of a product line and clearance rates for time-sensitive shipments sliding from 95% cleared within three days to just 76%, PortCalls previously reported.
The congestion traced back to the collapse of warehouse capacity following the closure of Philippine Skylanders International’s facility after NAIA operator New NAIA Infra Corp. reclaimed the premises for redevelopment, leaving Paircargo and Cargohaus as the only customs-bonded warehouses serving multiple carriers at the airport.
Paircargo alone handles roughly 70% of NAIA’s air cargo through its direct ramp access, leaving it to absorb the brunt of the resulting volume surge.
Government and industry responded with a series of interventions over the following weeks. BOC-NAIA extended its operating hours from the previous 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m., Monday-to-Friday schedule to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, including weekends, and encouraged stakeholders to schedule cargo releases earlier in the day to avoid the congested afternoon window.
Paircargo, for its part, rolled out incentives such as free weekend storage to spread out the release volume, and set up a stakeholder coordination channel with BOC to track unlocated entries in real time. It also opened the Paircargo Satellite Cargo Facility capable of handling about 24.24 million kilos monthly.
Those measures, layered on top of expedited processing, prioritization of critical shipments, and close monitoring of warehouse conditions, helped turn the tide. BOC-NAIA District Collector Atty. Maria Yasmin Obillos-Mapa said the port remains committed to sustaining the gains and preventing a recurrence.
Ralph Morales, Country Director for Government Relations and Public Affairs of Texas Instruments Philippines, said the BOC’s direct engagement allowed the company to clear 99% of its critical shipments within days.
“That responsiveness did not just move boxes through the warehouse; it protected production lines, it protected the jobs of our more than 4,500 employees, and mitigated what could have been significant lasting revenue for us,” he said.
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI) echoed the sentiment. “We offer our sincerest appreciation to BOC, to DOF (Department of Finance), to PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority), and to all government and industry partners, and of course Paircargo, for addressing the congestion issue,” said SEIPI External Affairs Lead Cristjan Bael.
Gregg Sebastian, President of the Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association Inc., credited the district collector’s office for stepping in on a problem not of BOC’s own making. He stressed that the BOC was not responsible for the congestion, which stemmed from port operators and points of origin. He added that the BOC acted proactively, developing the solution.
The Healthcare Technology Association of the Philippines, the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Association of the Philippines, Toyota Motor Philippines, and Samsung Philippines also shared their own experiences navigating the congestion and thanked BOC, Paircargo, and other stakeholders for restoring the timely movement of shipments.
Nepomuceno urged businesses to keep raising operational concerns early rather than waiting for problems to escalate. “Let us know what bothers you. Let us know what will make your businesses improve or thrive. The soonest that you feel your problems, let us know — I assure you, we will do our best to resolve your issues,” he said.
With normal operations restored, Nepomuceno said BOC will continue to closely monitor cargo movement and coordinate with cargo handlers and industry partners to keep the recovery from unraveling.
The NAIA congestion had unfolded alongside a parallel crisis at Manila’s seaports, with PortCalls documenting both in a three-part series earlier this year examining the capacity crunch at NAIA, the yard congestion at Manila’s container terminals, and the structural fixes needed at both gateways.
READ: Manila’s Cargo Crisis — When Sea and Air Feel the Squeeze
Manila’s Cargo Crisis: Capacity Crunch at the Airport
Manila’s Cargo Crisis: What Needs to Happen
