The Philippines is ready to handle the demands of international cruise ships as Manila South Harbor successfully serviced its biggest cruise vessel to date, according to Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Atty. Jay Daniel Santiago.
Manila South Harbor on June 9 handled MS Ovation of the Seas, which carried at least 5,000 passengers and crew on board, and was by far the heaviest and longest cruise ship to dock in Philippine waters.
Operated by Royal Caribbean International, MS Ovation of the Seas is 34 meters long and weighs 167,800 gross tonnage. “This only shows that the Philippines is more than ready to handle the demands of international cruise ship industry,” Santiago said.
“This also underscores the hold of the Philippines as the newest cruise shipping destination within the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.
The PPA chief said the authority, along with its private partners, will continue to undertake efforts to bring the Philippine port system to world standards and remain competitive with its counterparts.
Last March, PPA posted unprecedented figures in cruise ship arrivals in the last 12 months, capped by the simultaneous docking of cruise ships at Manila South Harbor.
As of January of this year, cruise tourism arrivals registered an increase of 1,952.82% to 9,156 passengers from only 446 in January of last year. Of the total, more than half of the volume, or 4,520, was recorded in the Port Management Office of Northern Luzon, in view of the regained interest of Star Cruises in the Port of Currimao as one of its cruise routes.
PPA said it has been working hard to improve the cruise facilities of the country’s ports, particularly those of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, South Harbor and North Harbor in Manila, Bohol in the Visayas, and Currimao in Northern Luzon.
To support the booming cruise industry, PPA is currently carrying out several infrastructure projects in key areas, aimed at developing international hubs for cruise liners. These major destinations that make up the nation’s major nautical cruise arteries include Davao, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Metro Manila, Puerto Princesa, Subic, and Zamboanga.
The port authority has also lined up various port programs to develop cruise terminals in Puerto Princesa, Currimao, and Catagbacan in Bohol Province, among others.
