Government appeals to importers to move cargoes out of Manila port before Feast of Nazarene, Papal visit

The government has appealed to importers to pull out their cargoes from the Port of Manila before the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Friday (Jan. 9) and the Papal visit, which starts Thursday (Jan. 15) next week.

"We are appealing to the private sector, we are appealing to the importers, to all the cargo handlers: Could you please pull out as much of your cargoes now while we are able to? What do we mean by now? That’s today, tomorrow, and Thursday," Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said.
The Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo falls on Friday, January 9. Classes in Manila, as well as work in city government offices, have been suspended on this day.

Secretary Almendras made the same appeal to importers to claim their cargoes before Thursday, January 15, the day Pope Francis arrives for a five-day visit to the Philippines. January 15, 16 and 19 have been declared as non-working days in the National Capital Region.

Almendras further appealed to businesses that have refrigerated vans in the Port of Manila to pull them out.

"We have noted a significant increase in the refrigerated vans na hindi pinu-pull out. Ang problema po, there is not enough space in the port for refrigerated vans of the volume that we are now seeing... So, nakikiusap din po kami, through media, to all those importers, all those businesses who have these refrigerated vans inside the port, kung pwede lang po, please pull them out as fast as you can," he said.

He said the Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Plant Industry and other government offices that give clearances, will help facilitate the moving out of the refrigerated vans.  (PCOO News Release)