Government fetes ICTSI for economic input

The government through the Board of Investments (BOI) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently presented to global port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) the 2017 Guinogulan Award for Large Enterprises for its huge contribution to the country’s economic growth.

The Guinogulan, which means “Lord of Gold” in Filipino, recognizes BOI-registered companies that contribute to the country’s economic growth through capital infusion, employment generation, introduction of new technologies and innovation, implementation of community relations, economic linkages, and adoption of inclusive business models in their operations.

Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI senior vice president and head of Asia-Pacific and Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), highlighted ICTSI’s inclusive business strategies in people management, stakeholder relations, environment and sustainability, and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

“We have long term concessions. The very nature of our contracts would allow us to think and plan long term for our employees, the communities we are in, the governments we work with, the businesses and stakeholders in the supply chain, and the environment. We have to think sustainably from the very start to survive as a business,” Gonzalez said.

Local ICTSI employees are given the opportunity to work abroad in the Group’s global operations with the assurance that their jobs are secure when they return home. “Employees on overseas assignment are given expatriate remuneration. They are expected to rollout ICTSI’s brand of terminal operations in a foreign port, but when they go back home, they have to share the knowledge they acquired overseas,” Gonzalez added.

In providing value and in ensuring businesses and stakeholders in the supply chain remain profitable, ICTSI said in a statement that it implements leading edge port technology and innovation to allow seamless systems and processes, and transparency; and a more empowered client base that could easily make decisions with the real-time information that ICTSI provides.

“The technologies we employ, aside from providing value to all stakeholders in the supply chain, guarantee that all aspects of ICTSI’s port operations are environment-friendly. Key considerations to our recent equipment acquisitions are carbon emission and noise pollution levels, and fuel efficiency, among others,” he added.

On CSR, Gonzalez said the best CSR programs are the ones often unheard of.

“Through our ICTSI Foundation, we have implemented programs that provide support mechanisms to the youth in the areas of education, health and community welfare, and sports. We’ve closely coordinated with public schools and hospitals in our immediate communities. We’re not only doing this locally, but globally,” he added.

“On behalf of ICTSI chairman Mr. Enrique K. Razon Jr., and on behalf as well of the men and women behind the success story of the MICT, I would like to express our most heartfelt gratitude to the BOI and DTI,” Gonzalez added.

“For the past 29 years, the BOI has been a key partner in the continuous development of the Philippines’ most important container terminal. Thanks to BOI, our capital funding in Manila has institutionalized MICT as the largest, most modern and premier trade gateway in the country. Without BOI, ICTSI would have not achieved its stature today—the only truly Filipino global multinational,” he said.

ICTSI is monitored for its multi-billion peso capital investments in MICT since its registration in BOI in 1990. BOI ensures that ICTSI projects are completed and delivered on time in the light of government incentives. For the last three decades, ICTSI has a proven track record of exceeding government compliance especially with its contractual commitments in the operations, management and development of the MICT.

“Our MICT success story is what we have replicated in our concessions overseas, and this again would not have been possible without the BOI’s support. This public-private partnership at the Port of Manila is something we Filipinos can all be proud of,” Gonzalez said.

The MICT, as ICTSI’s flagship base, is the company’s benchmark in the development of its terminals worldwide.

As of date, ICTSI has a portfolio of 31 port terminals and projects in 18 countries, and has a workforce of 10,000 employees worldwide, 2,000 of which are based in the Philippines.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo underscored a Guinogulan awardee’s stature as a world class and global Filipino company.

“The award does not only support Philippine global branding but also further highlights the competitive advantages of doing business in the Philippines with the awardees as living proofs and testimonies to the viability and profitability of doing business in the country,” Rodolfo said.

The Guinogulan is the highest award conferred by a host government and its home country to ICTSI in recent months.

For the past years, ICTSI and its subsidiaries have been receiving local and international accolades for excellence in supply chain management, corporate governance, financial management, investor relations, people management, industrial relations, innovation and technology, sustainability, public relations and communication, and CSR and philanthropy.

$80-M upgrade readied

ICTSI will also soon be deploying 16 hybrid rubber tired gantries (RTG) at the MICT.

The $22 million equipment purchase is part of ICTSI’s $80 million capital equipment program for its flagship terminal.

Gonzalezsaid the new RTGs, the first of their kind in the Philippine ports system, will not only boost operations, but will further enhance ICTSI’s HSSE group-wide program that aims to create and maintain safe working environments for both ICTSI employees and clients.

“The new RTGs will improve terminal efficiency and allow us to match demand in terms of operational performance. Terminal utilization currently remains exceptional, and we see no signs of congestion despite the volume influx,” Gonzalez said.

“Just as important is that we can expect a minimum 40 percent reduction in carbon emissions and up to 60 percent better fuel economy. A side benefit is that the smaller engines mean reduced noise levels at the yard,” he added.

The MES hybrid uses diesel fuel saving technology that combines 200kVA Li-ion batteries and a smaller diesel engine, resulting in lower carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency.

Manufactured by Japanese shipbuilder and equipment maker Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (MES), the Mitsui Li-ion Hybrid RTG can stack one over five containers high and six containers wide, including truck roadway. It has a rated load of 40 metric tons.

The first batch is scheduled for delivery in November next year, with the remaining eight to be turned over by October 2019.

ICTSI is also set to commission five additional quay cranes by 2019, which includes a pair of neo-Panamax cranes. Upon completion, MICT will become the only terminal in the Philippines capable of servicing neo-Panamax boxships with capacities of up to 13,000 TEUs.

“We are preparing for the era of super-sized ships. All the development we have in the pipeline will ensure MICT, the country’s premier container terminal, will be able to cope with the pressing demand and volume increase,” Gonzalez added.

Last December, MICT achieved a milestone with its first year-to-date two millionth TEU move. This triggered a multi-billion peso capacity improvement commitment with the Philippine Ports Authority, requiring ICTSI to commission additional equipment and construct at least another berth by 2019.