The United Portusers Confederation of the Philippines, Inc. (UPC), the country’s leading umbrella organization for port users, recently concluded a high-level benchmarking mission to Melbourne, Australia. The delegation engaged with world-class maritime hubs to extract actionable insights into modern port operations, advanced logistics management, and cutting-edge container handling technologies.
As the Philippines seeks to enhance its global competitiveness and streamline supply chain efficiencies, the UPC mission focused on observing international best practices that can be localized to address domestic bottlenecks.
The delegation visited several pivotal sites, each offering a unique perspective on the future of maritime trade:
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Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT): Operated by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), this facility is renowned as one of the world’s most advanced fully automated terminals. The UPC team studied how automation and AI-driven logistics can significantly increase TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) throughput while reducing carbon footprints.
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Port of Melbourne: As Australia’s largest port for containerized and general cargo, the visit provided a deep dive into urban port integration and high-capacity infrastructure management.
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Port of Victoria: The delegation met with the governing body of the region’s ports—the Australian equivalent to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)—to discuss regulatory frameworks, safety standards, and the collaborative “landlord” model of port governance.
The knowledge gained during this mission is slated to serve as a blueprint for policy recommendations and operational shifts within the Philippine maritime sector.
“This mission was about more than just observation; it was about translation,” said a representative of the UPC. “Seeing how Victoria integrates automation and regulatory efficiency gives us a clear North Star for how we can evolve our own ports to better serve Filipino businesses and the broader economy.”
The UPC expressed its heartfelt appreciation to International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) for facilitating this invaluable opportunity. ICTSI’s support enabled the confederation to bridge the gap between local operations and global excellence, fostering a spirit of innovation within the Philippine shipping community.
