ICTSI invests USD20 million in IT for Manila flagship in 10 years
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has invested more than PhP900 million (USD20 million) in information technology (IT) for its flagship Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) in the last 10 years, according to the company's release.
Setting the stage for future technology and digital service deployments at MICT, ICTSI partnered with PLDT last year for the roll out of 5G at the terminal. The MICT is currently utilizing the technology to automatically weigh containers using spreader load cells in rubber tired gantries (RTG). Having this feature helps shorten truck drivers’ stay at the port as they no longer need to queue to use the terminal’s weigh bridges.
In 2015, ICTSI launched the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS) at MICT to facilitate the seamless flow of cargo in and out of the port. The MICT is currently working on the TABS Manifesting System, which automatically captures container data and truck plate numbers during the booking process. Once the system is deployed, drivers no longer have to input anything in the terminal kiosks upon their arrival.
A new MICT app is also currently under development. The new app is designed to give port users access to several services like Track & Trace across multiple ICTSI terminals, online payment and eventually TABS booking. It will also include features like GPS location and ETA, geofenced gate-in and yard locations for drivers.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, ICTSI’s investments in technology driven solutions were key to MICT’s uninterrupted operation despite the nationwide lockdowns that threatened the country’s supply chain.
MICT’s online payment system enabled customers to process their transactions without physically going to the terminal. Launched in 2017, the system had a mere 30 percent adoption rate prior to the pandemic.
A similar payment system is also currently being developed for NorthPort, Subic Bay International Terminals and Mindanao Container Terminal. The system is scheduled for launch within the year.
Aside from launching an online payment system, the MICT is gearing up to launch its online examination viewing portal pending approval from the Philippine Department of Agriculture. The portal will enable brokers to observe the Bureau of Customs’ examination of containers without being physically present at the terminal.
For transactions that require a visit to the port like container returns and pull-outs, the MICT has systems in place to limit face-to-face interactions. The terminal gates are automated and have been unmanned since 2015. Instead, optical character recognition, license plate recognition and radio frequency identification technologies facilitate the seamless entry and exit of trucks.
In 1988, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) won the 25 + 25 years concession to operate the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) in an international tender. Since ICTSI’s takeover, MICT has increased its annual capacity five-fold, expanded its container handling fleet to make it the largest and most modern container terminal in the Philippines, and switched from a manual control system to an integrated real-time IT terminal control system. MICT is ICTSI’s flagship operation.
Headquartered and established in 1988 in Manila, Philippines, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) is in the business of port development, management and operations. ICTSI’s portfolio of terminals and projects are located in developed and emerging market economies in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Independent with no shipping or consignee-related interests, ICTSI works and transacts transparently with all stakeholders of the supply chain.
