Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) has welcomed the launch of the Regional Container Line’s new South Philippines 6 (RSP6) service that will connect the country to Asia and the Middle East via Singapore, according to International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI).
Roberto Locsin, MCT general manager, said the service calls can be considered as a product superhighway that will aid farmers, manufacturers, and other producers in the Philippines.
Locsin said it will enable producers to deliver time-sensitive commodities fast and in-bulk without the huge cost.
“Now more than ever, local businesses need help to bounce back, and the new service line will undoubtedly give them the boost they need,” Locsin claimed.
ICTSI said the service will be operated by two vessels and covers the Singapore – Cebu – Cagayan – Singapore route.
The vessels turn in Singapore, which serves as a transhipment hub and provides competitive connections from Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga to other Southeast Asian markets, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, while additionally serving the markets further north such as China and South Korea.
Jose Gabriel la Viña, PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate Administrator and CEO, expressed optimism about the growth potential of the new carrier service.
“For the City of Cagayan de Oro and the rest of Misamis Oriental, the new service strengthens our position as a major agro-industrial exporter.
“The availability of a regular and predictable service to a major international hub also presents opportunities for entrepreneurs and industries to move up the value chain.
“This could only mean higher incomes, more jobs, and a more comfortable life for our people.”
In 2020, MCT expanded its port equipment fleet, extended the berth length through the installation of an inland bollard and dolphin moor, and opened a 4.5-hectare empty container depot (ECD) inside the terminal.
