The Philippine Economic Zone Authority has cited the need to amend the country’s Cabotage Law to reduce the cost of transporting goods by water and raise the level of competitiveness in the maritime sector.
Peza director general Lilia De Lima said the country would have more ports opened and running if the government would revise the existing law on interisland shipping.
“There’s a need for that and I am for the amendment of the Cabotage [Law]. Opening up new ports can really ease congestion, the flow of transportation and logistics. We’re uniquely situated because we’re not landlocked but we have a higher cost of transporting goods,” she said.
De Lima cited a recent order of Malacañang Palace that rendered the Batangas and Subic ports as part of Manila port. This means that shipments bound for Manila can be unloaded either via Subic or Batangas, whichever is geographically attractive to international ships, when there is congestion in Manila ports.
De Lima said this could be a good start to open up the rest of the maritime industry to international shipping.