SBMA to send 16 containers back to Manila port

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines—At least 16 containers sent here on Friday will be returned to the Port of Manila after these were found to be emitting a foul smell or leaking a still unidentified substance, according to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials.

SBMA Chair Roberto Garcia said the 16 containers were among the 721 shipped here on Friday in an effort to help decongest Manila’s port area.

“We found containers that have a foul smell. It looks like [there is] something [rotting] inside. We don’t accept such containers here in Subic so we have to return these to Manila,” he added in a press briefing on Monday.

The 16 containers were unloaded from M/V Asterisk to the free port’s New Container Terminal 2 which would serve as an extension of the Manila port, Garcia said.

Of the 16 containers, 14 were found to be emitting a foul stench. The two others, on the other hand, were leaking an unidentified substance.

Garcia said they could not identify the contents of the 16 containers because these did not have the required documents while their contents were not clearly described by the shipper.

“Perhaps because of the urgency to transfer these containers to Subic, these were just loaded on the ship without an inspection,” Garcia added.

The Subic Super Shuttle (S3) will transport the 16 containers back to Manila’s port area Tuesday, he said.

The S3 is a vessel that can carry 138 twenty-foot equivalent units or the standard container size between the Manila International Container Terminal to this free port in Zambales province.

Garcia said he would require Manila port officials or the agencies concerned to declare the contents of the containers to prevent the entry of those that might end up being rejected by the SBMA.

“For the next shipment, we will be asking for a detailed description and summary of the content of each container,” he added.

“The national government is really looking to Subic to solve this problem because Subic has the capacity to accommodate these containers, but we will make sure they conform to our standards,” Garcia said.

The government has turned to this free port to help solve the congestion in Manila’s port area.–Allan Macatuno