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Visayas Container Terminal expects to receive two new mobile harbor cranes on the first week of September
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The cranes, the largest and first such equipment in Panay and the entire Region 6, will enable VCT to handle new-generation vessels and cater to increased volume
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Dredging along the berths are also set to commence later in the month to increase depth capacity in preparation for the arrival of larger ships
Visayas Container Terminal (VCT) expects to receive two new mobile harbor cranes (MHC) on the first week of September, mother company International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) said in a statement.
ICTSI said it continues to expedite facility upgrades, IT system implementation, and deployment of other modern-cargo handling equipment at VCT after it was awarded the 25-year concession contract to operate and develop Iloilo Commercial Port Complex, now renamed VCT, by the Philippine Ports Authority.
The terminal started commercial operations under ICTSI last April.
READ: PPA hands over Iloilo Commercial Port to Visayas Container Terminal
“VCT is far from the terminal we took over six months ago,” VCT executive director Timothee Jeannin said.
He added: “We’ve not only improved the facilities but also grown our team to over 240 organic personnel, who undergo continuous training to ensure top-tier service. We also continue to expand our equipment fleet, which include the upcoming MHCs and the recently delivered reach stackers, chassis and forklifts – all part of our commitment to transform VCT into a world-class port.”
ICTSI said the MHCs—which will be the largest and first such equipment in Panay and the entire Region 6—will enable VCT to handle new-generation vessels and cater to increased volume. Dredging along the berths are also set to commence later in the month to increase depth capacity in preparation for the arrival of larger ships.
VCT’s container yard is currently equipped with 33 reefer plugs, which will double in the next two weeks in anticipation of increased demand for perishable goods and potential exports from Panay.
The container freight station also bustles with warehousing activities by freight forwarders, ICTSI noted.
VCT currently operates with five new reach stackers, two three-tonner forklifts, six prime movers, two sidelifters, a skid loader and a backhoe. Two five-tonner forklifts are scheduled to arrive also in September, followed by a 30-tonner forklift in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Other projects in the pipeline for the year include further rehabilitation of the container yard, improvement of engineering facilities and offices, and development of multipurpose and recreational spaces for employees.
VCT also launched initiatives like the greening of the terminal, which aims to plant 100,000 trees and plants within the first year. Together with the ICTSI Foundation, VCT partnered with local schools in Iloilo for the training and development of potential manpower.
ICTSI noted that the terminal’s transformation “would not be complete without the cooperation of trusted partners for container maintenance and repairs, cross docking and freight forwarding.”
“These stakeholders serve as lynchpins in consolidating services for the Panay market and will continue to play a crucial role in VCT’s next development phase,” ICTSI said.
VCT is also currently working with PPA-Iloilo to remove derelict vessels and materials from the port’s vicinity to maximize space utilization.
VCT handles a current volume of 100,000 twenty-foot equivalent units and two million metric tons of non-containerized cargo annually. It features 627 meters of operational quay length and 20 hectares of land dedicated to container and general cargo storage, warehousing, and other cargo-handling activities.
Under the contract, VCT’s operations will exclusively serve foreign vessels and cargoes. For the first five years, domestic vessels and cargoes are permitted until the Fort San Pedro port development turnover.
