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Port of Iloilo

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Coordinates: 10°41′24″N 122°34′59″E / 10.69000°N 122.58306°E / 10.69000; 122.58306
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Port of Iloilo
Pantalan ng Iloilo
Puerto sang Iloilo
Visayas Container Terminal in Lapuz district
Map
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Location
CountryPhilippines
LocationIloilo City Proper and Lapuz, Iloilo City
Coordinates10°41′24″N 122°34′59″E / 10.69000°N 122.58306°E / 10.69000; 122.58306
UN/LOCODEPHILO[1]
Details
OpenedSeptember 29, 1855
Operated byPhilippine Ports Authority
Owned byIloilo City Government
Type of harbourNatural/Artificial
Size20.8 hectares (51 acres)
No. of wharfs3
No. of piers2
Hub ForNegros Navigation (folded to 2GO Travel)
Statistics
Vessel arrivals78,679(2023)[2]
Annual cargo tonnage4,038,984(2023)[2]
Annual container volume150,889 TEU(2023)[2]
Passenger traffic7,566,772(2023)[2]
Website
www.ppa.com.ph

The Port of Iloilo (Spanish: Puerto de 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.

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

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See also: Iloilo
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)

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

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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

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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 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

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Shipping Lines Destinations[13]
Cokaliong Shipping Lines Cebu
Montenegro Shipping Lines Cuyo, Palawan, Puerto Princesa, Bacolod, Jordan, Guimaras
2GO Travel Bacolod, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Manila, Zamboanga
Ocean Jet Bacolod
Weesam Express Bacolod
Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Cebu
FastCat Bacolod

Facilities

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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[14]) sits on reclaimed land in Lapuz district and is equipped with modern infrastructure.[3]

Domestic Passenger Terminal
MV 2GO Masagana, Iloilo Domestic Port

The port is mainly divided into the following:

  • Iloilo International Port (Visayas Container Terminal, formerly known as Iloilo Commercial Port Complex) - Loboc, Lapuz
  • Iloilo Domestic Port (formerly the Old Foreign Pier) - Parola, Iloilo City Proper
  • Iloilo River Wharf/Lapuz Wharf (RoRo and Fastcraft Terminal) - Lapuz Norte, Lapuz
  • Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal (Jetty/Motor Banca Terminal) - Parola, Iloilo City Proper
  • Ortiz Wharf (Old Jetty/Motor Banca Terminal) - Ortiz, Iloilo City Proper
Statistics[12]
Year Ship Calls Container Volume (TEU) Cargo Tonnage (mT) Passengers
2015 11,224 137,463 3,347,648 1,823,371
2016 12,307 151,817 3,574,575 2,237,811
2017 12,592 162,290 3,758,453 2,402,748
2018 13,315 165,759 3,984,649 2,547,596
2019 19,162 171,025 4,130,055 3,124,361
2020 14,990 154,234 3,768,905 1,105,572
2021 49,458 157,953 4,208,456 3,109,498
2022 63,093 167,962 4,446,275 5,962,999
2023 78,679 150,889 4,038,984 7,566,772

Data

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Facility data for the Port of Iloilo[3]
Type m2
Old foreign pier 17,000
River wharf 68,000
Iloilo Commercial Port Complex 208,000
Back-up area/commercial 97,000
Operational area 111,000

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

Outdoor storage data for the Port of Iloilo[3]
Type m2
Old foreign pier open storage 9,200
River wharf open storage 8,682

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UNLOCODE (PH) - PHILIPPINES". service.unece.org. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Statistics | Philippine Ports Authority Official Website". www.ppa.com.ph. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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. ^ "Visayas Container Terminal | ICTSI". www.ictsi.com. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
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