PPA Celebrates 52 Years of Dedicated Service

The Philippine Ports Authority marks its 52nd founding anniversary this July 11 with a wealth of accomplishments from the previous year and planned goals and aspirations into the future.

This year’s celebration pays tribute to more than five decades of steering the country’s port operations towards growth and global competitiveness that has earned praise from domestic and foreign travelers and industry stakeholders.

Based on official data for the first quarter of the current year, cargo volume at ports the PPA oversees rose 1.53 percent to 66.96 million metric tons (MMT), driven by growth in foreign shipments.

Citing preliminary data, the port regulator disclosed that the country’s ports handled 39.49 MMT of foreign cargo and 27.47 MMT of domestic shipments in the three months to March.

Imports accounted for 26.86 MMT or 71.44% of the period’s volume while outbound shipments accounted for 14.37 MMT of domestic cargo, while inbound shipments totaled 13.10 MMT.

The PPA likewise recorded 2.13 million twenty-foot equivalent units in container throughout for the first quarter, up 4.41% from a year earlier even as passenger traffic rose 1.97 percent to 19.69 million despite facing fewer ship calls during the three-month period of 2026, which saw ship calls falling to 163,002, down 1.20 percent, and 124,875 cruise passengers, down 5.17 percent from a year earlier.

Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) traffic, however rose 8.81 percent to 3.21 million.

Thus, for the rest of 2026, PPA is projecting stronger growth in cargo and passenger traffic, driven by investments in port efficiency. Here the PPA expressed optimism as it is expecting cargo volume to rise 4.03 percent to 320.94 million metric tons, driven mainly by the foreign cargo segment.

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago asserted that as they celebrate the agency’s anniversary, the recent accomplishments they have scored serves as inspiration to do more and serve more.

“The milestones we have achieved are more than mere numbers—they are testament to over five decades of commitment, innovation and nation-building through efficient and inclusive port management,” Santiago stressed in a pre-anniversary message.

Established on July 11, 1974 through Presidential Decree No. 505, PPA serves as the primary government agency tasked with integrating and coordinating the planning, development, financing, and operation of ports throughout the archipelago.

For more than half a century, PPA has been instrumental in trade, tourism, and economic progress by ensuring efficient port services nationwide.