Port of Iloilo

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Port of Iloilo
Pantalan sang Iloilo
Iloilo International Port (Lapuz, Iloilo City; 10-22-2022) (cropped).jpg
Visayas Container Terminal in Lapuz district
Port of Iloilo
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Location
Country Philippines
Location Iloilo City Proper and Lapuz, Iloilo City
Coordinates 10°41′24″N122°34′59″E / 10.69000°N 122.58306°E / 10.69000; 122.58306
UN/LOCODE PHILO [1]
Details
OpenedSeptember 29, 1855
Operated by Philippine Ports Authority
Owned by Iloilo City Government
Type of harbour Natural/Artificial
Size20.8 hectares (51 acres)
No. of wharfs 3
No. of piers 2
Hub For Negros Navigation (folded to 2GO Travel)
Statistics
Vessel arrivals78,679(2023) [2]
Annual cargo tonnage 4,038,984(2023) [2]
Annual container volume150,889 TEU (2023) [2]
Passenger traffic7,566,772(2023) [2]
Website
www.ppa.com.ph

The Port of Iloilo (Hiligaynon : Pantalan sang Iloilo) is a seaport located in Iloilo City, Philippines. It serves the city, province of Iloilo, and the entire island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is located in the districts of Iloilo City Proper and Lapuz, on the southeastern coast of Panay, in Iloilo Strait, and one of the country’s safest and most natural harbors. [3] The Port of Iloilo is managed by the Philippine Ports Authority, a government-owned corporation, and consists of major facilities: the Iloilo River Wharf, Iloilo Domestic Port, and the Visayas Container Terminal.

Contents

It is one of the busiest ports in the country, recording 78,679 ship calls, 4 million metric tons in cargo throughput, and 7.6 million passengers in 2023. [4]

History

Aerial view of the Muelle Loney Wharf on the Iloilo River, circa 1920s Iloilo Harbor, KITLV 1402344.tiff
Aerial view of the Muelle Loney Wharf on the Iloilo River, circa 1920s

The Port of Iloilo has been a hub for international shipping since 1855, facilitating the export of sugar and fertilizer to global markets. Its opening to the world market on September 29, 1855, by Queen Isabella II of Spain, [5] [6] revitalized the local economy following the decline of the textile industry. With the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869, trade with Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, became more accessible. Nicholas Loney, the U.K. consul, played a pivotal role in this development, and Muelle Loney, the quay along the Iloilo River, is named in his honor.

Port of Iloilo Historical Marker (1975) 1975-NHI-Ang Daungan ng Iloilo.png
Port of Iloilo Historical Marker (1975)

The rise of the sugar industry spurred an economic boom in Iloilo and its neighboring island, Negros. Iloilo emerged as a leading center of commerce and trade in the Visayas and Mindanao, second only to Manila. [7] Serving as the primary deep-water port for both Iloilo and Bacolod, the capital of Negros Occidental, located 35 miles away across the Guimaras Strait, [8] it handled nearly all sugar and rice trade from Negros during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [8]

In 2024, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) secured a 25-year concession deal to develop and manage the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex. As part of this agreement, ICTSI renamed the facility Visayas Container Terminal (VCT). [9] [10]

Location

The Iloilo Harbor is situated within the Iloilo Strait, delineated to the north by a line extending from the Dumangas River across the Iloilo Strait to Navalas Point on Guimaras Island, and to the south by a line stretching from Lusaran Point on Guimaras Island to Surraga River in the municipality of San Joaquin on Panay Island. [3]

Profile

Visayas Container Terminal (VCT), formerly known as Iloilo Commercial Port Complex (ICPC) Iloilo International Port.jpg
Visayas Container Terminal (VCT), formerly known as Iloilo Commercial Port Complex (ICPC)

The Port of Iloilo, considered the primary trading hub and commercial center for Western Visayas, stands out as one of the safest natural seaports in the Philippines. [3] Spanning 20.8 hectares (51 acres) of reclaimed land, the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex, now known as Visayas Container Terminal, boasts extensive facilities, including 11,400 square metres (123,000 sq ft) of operational space, complemented by an additional area of 97,000 square metres (1,040,000 sq ft), equipped with a crane, 348 metres (1,142 ft) of rails, roll-on-roll-off support, a 7,800-container freight station, and a 720-square-metre (7,800 sq ft) passenger shed. With berth dimensions of 400 metres (1,300 ft) in length, 26.26 metres (86.2 ft) in width, and a berthing depth of 10.50 metres (34.4 ft), the port complex caters to vessels navigating international routes.

Several shipping firms utilize the Port of Iloilo, such as Lorenzo Shipping Corporation, 2GO, Amigo Shipping Company, New Panay Shipping Company, Sulpicio Lines, and Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc. [3] Fast ferries operate on the Iloilo-Bacolod route eight times daily, while 2GO inter-island overnight ferries connect to Manila, Bacolod, Cebu, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro. Fiberglass-made ferries ply the Iloilo Strait to Guimaras throughout the day and offer special trips at night.

Roll-on/roll-off ferry service, or RO-RO, is available between Iloilo City and Guimaras, while the RO-RO to Negros departs from Dumangas, Iloilo, 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Iloilo City.

In 2017 statistics record, the port ranks third in terms of ship calls, with 11,853 recorded, fourth in cargo throughput, totaling 491,719 million metric tons, and fourth in passenger traffic, serving 2.4 million passengers. [11] [12]

Shipping firms and destinations

Shipping LinesDestinations [13] [14]
2GO Travel Bacolod, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Manila, Zamboanga
Atlantis Yohan Express Buenavista, Guimaras
Buenavista and Jordan Ferry Buenavista, Guimaras, Jordan, Guimaras
Cokaliong Shipping Lines Cebu
FastCat Bacolod
Jordan Motor Banca Cooperative Jordan, Guimaras
Maria Estrella Del Mar Cuyo, Palawan, Puerto Princesa, San Jose, Antique
Milagrosa-J Shipping Lines Cuyo, Palawan, Puerto Princesa
Montenegro Shipping Lines Bacolod, Cuyo, Palawan, Jordan, Guimaras, Puerto Princesa
Navimar Shipping Services Buenavista, Guimaras, Jordan, Guimaras
Ocean Jet Bacolod
Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Cebu
Weesam Express Bacolod

Facilities

The port provides bunkering facilities, offered by Pilipinas Shell, Caltex Philippines Inc., Petrophil Corp, and Petroleum Corp. As a key port in Western Visayas, the Commercial Port Complex (now renamed as Visayas Container Terminal [15] ) sits on reclaimed land in Lapuz district and is equipped with modern infrastructure. [3]

Domestic Passenger Terminal Port of Iloilo Passenger Terminal (Fort San Pedro Drive, Iloilo City; 01-27-2023).jpg
Domestic Passenger Terminal
MV 2GO Masagana, Iloilo Domestic Port MV 2GO Masagana right side, Iloilo Port (Iloilo City; 01-25-2023).jpg
MV 2GO Masagana, Iloilo Domestic Port

The port is mainly divided into the following:

Statistics [12]
YearShip CallsContainer Volume (TEU)Cargo Tonnage (mT)Passengers
201511,224137,4633,347,6481,823,371
201612,307151,8173,574,5752,237,811
201712,592162,2903,758,4532,402,748
201813,315165,7593,984,6492,547,596
201919,162171,0254,130,0553,124,361
202014,990154,2343,768,9051,105,572
202149,458157,9534,208,4563,109,498
202263,093167,9624,446,2755,962,999
202378,679150,8894,038,9847,566,772

Data

Facility data for the Port of Iloilo [3]
Typem2
Old foreign pier17,000
River wharf68,000
Iloilo Commercial Port Complex208,000
Back-up area/commercial97,000
Operational area111,000

The Port of Iloilo also offers open storage facilities, data listed below:

Outdoor storage data for the Port of Iloilo [3]
Typem2
Old foreign pier open storage9,200
River wharf open storage8,682

See also

References

  1. "UNLOCODE (PH) - PHILIPPINES". service.unece.org. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Statistics | Philippine Ports Authority Official Website". www.ppa.com.ph. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 PORT OF ILOILO - General Information
  4. "Statistics | Philippine Ports Authority Official Website". www.ppa.com.ph. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  5. Sonza, Demy. "The Port of Iloilo: 1855 - 2005". Graciano Lopez-Jaena Life and Works and Iloilo History Online Resource. Dr. Graciano Lopez-Jaena (DGLJ) Foundation. Archived from the original on 2016-01-19.
  6. Funtecha, Henry (2006-07-21). "Iloilo's position under colonial rule". thenewstoday.info. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  7. Iloilo City - History Archived January 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. 1 2 Linn, Brian McAllister (2000). The Philippine war 1899-1902. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas. p. 73. ISBN   0-7006-1225-4.
  9. Chambers, Sam (2024-01-30). "ICTSI wins concession to develop Philippine box terminal". Splash247. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  10. "ICTSI to develop Visayas Container Terminal in the Philippines" . Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  11. "Port of Iloilo Archives - Mac-Nels Vietnam - Your Cargo? Never say never" . Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  12. 1 2 "Statistics | Philippine Ports Authority Official Website". www.ppa.com.ph. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  13. PORT OF ILOILO - Destinations
  14. Sornito, Ime (2023-02-24). "MARINA sets new sched for Jordan-Parola trips". Panay News. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  15. "Visayas Container Terminal | ICTSI". www.ictsi.com. Retrieved 2024-04-26.