April 5, 2020 | 5:33 pm
Cargo owners, which include major food companies, now have seven days to withdraw reefers from Manila’s congested ports before these are forfeited in favor of the government.
Joint Administrative Order No. 20-01 dated April 2 expedites the release of refrigerated containers and dry vans that have piled up in Manila ports amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
The order, published in a newspaper on Sunday, included a list of companies whose cargoes remain at the Manila ports.
Under the order, cargo not withdrawn within the given timeframe will be considered abandoned or forfeited, and disposed of by the Bureau of Customs.
The order said that a list of reefer containers pending at ports, including the name of the consignee, will be published in government websites, social media, and leading newspapers to inform the public of the immediate need to withdraw the reefers.
“The public shall be informed that non-withdrawal within seven (7) days shall result to abandonment.”
Fastfood companies Jollibee Foods Corp. and Golden Arches Development Corp. (McDonalds Philippines) are included in the list.
Food and beverage companies San Miguel Foods, Inc.; Procter & Gamble Philippines, Inc.; The Purefoods Hormel Co., Inc.; Century Pacific Food, Inc.; Monde Nissin Corp.; Prime Pacific Foods Corp.; and Universal Robina Corp. also have cargo pending at Manila ports.
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) can impose penalties for refrigerated and chilled cargo that are not removed from the ports.
Within 24 hours after a decree of abandonment and forfeiture has been issued on these containers, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) will decide how these items will be disposed off. Goods that are fit for consumption will be donated to the Office of Civil Defense, once approved by the Finance secretary.
The PPA had earlier warned that cargo congestion at Manila ports may cause the terminals to shut down, and may lead to a shortage in food and other supplies.
The order was released in order to “ensure the availability of essential goods, in particular food and medicine, by adopting measures as may reasonably be necessary to facilitate and/or minimize disruption to the supply chain.”
The list also includes dozens of containers for fishery companies, including the Royale Fishing Corp., Silver Sea Star Fishing, and Maria Fe Fishing Corp.
Rustan Coffee Corp. (Starbucks Coffee Philippines), Foodsphere, Inc.; Fonterra Brands Philippines, Inc.; Happy Hunting Ground Farms Corp., and Consolidated Dairy and Frozen Food are also in the list, among many others.
Non-food companies like Glaxosmithkline Philippines, Inc.; Universal Power Solutions, Inc.; Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. also have cargo pending at the ports.
The order was signed by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Finance, the Bureau of Customs, and the Philippine Ports Authority. — Jenina P. Ibanez
Source: https://www.bworldonline.com/food-companies-have-7-days-to-remove-cargo-from-ports/