Port of Manila

Title

Port of Manila

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (Issue No.5) May 1948

Year

1948

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

the metropolitan area has The sharpest post-war increase was in the Quiapo area. This is explained by the fact that Quezon Avenue had been opened only shortly be fore the war, and a new set of values resulting from this improvement had not yet become established. Other highly desirable retail areas also show exceptional price advances. In the remainder of the Greater Manila area, land prices have in general ranged between the 1941 figures and up to double these figures. Yet since 1941 the population of — liaa tripled, and there is a distinct shortage of desirable building increased population. When we consider improved properties, the question • of building costs arises. The average increase in building costs is now 3.6 times 1941 costs. There is a gradual drop ping of construction costs, but it does not seem likely that a normal post-war cost basis will be reached for another year or two. In all probability, when a normal price and supply situation is reached on construction materials, we will find that our building costs will level off at about double the 1941 figures. . Residential rental construction has become negligible in recent months, in view of an executive order limiting housing rents to 12% of the assessed value. Despite this drop in residential rental construction, house rentals have eased considerably, due to the extensive construction of homes for owners’ use. Owners have thereby released houses to renters. . - • . - .-------- -------- — uuuuuiB ana snouia De rasen Dy insurance ana snipping auupauivs increased dodS f°r buSmeSS and services caterinS to this by so adjusting their rates for certain types of containers Port of Manila By H. W. Titus Luzon Stevedoring Company, Inc. IN past months the writer of this column has taken oc casion to point out difficulties created by the type of packing employed by firms exporting to the Philippines. COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF REAL ESTATE SALES IN MANILA Prepared by the Bureau of the Census and Statistics Note: A large percentage of 1945 sales and a diminishing percentage of 1946 sales, represent Japanese Occupation transactions not recorded until after liberation. 1940 1941 1945 1946 1947 1948 January........... P 6,004,145 P 962,970 P 7,943,605 P 4,385,011 P 6,030,012 P3,644,734 February........ 918,873 779,783 1,337,830 2,267,151 7,217,317 3,879,633 March............. 1,415,246 1,532,104 (?) 2,622,190 7,166,866 4,243,719 April............. 883,207 988,380 213,262 1,916,293 8,611,076 May................. 403,866 1,129,736 962,008 3,684,937 4,618,181 June............... 542,187 598,431 1,212,780 3,637,956 3,988,560 July................. 1,324,861 559,742 1,123,565 4,974,862 4,097,183 August............ 1,905,828 1,239,414 699,740 4,438,510 5,627,572 September..,. 1,141,114 815,112 ' 1,870,670 4,698,896 7,437,213 October.......... 993,103 1,182,678 2,096,893 5,545,800 6,083,486 November.... 938,416 858,235 2,555,472 3,340,382 4,177,054 December.... 1,504,004 (?) 2,874,408 4,025,926 3,205,584 Total............ . Pl 7,974,844 PJ0.647.285 P22.890.133 P45.537.914 P68.260.104 P7.524.367 It has been pointed out that effective remedial action can and should be taken by insurance and shipping companies as to minimize losses caused by insufficient packing. An interesting discussion of this subject is that of Alvin S. Ro berts, Manager of the Insurance Company of North Amer ica, in a recent issue of the Canadian Exporter in which he points out that since the close of World War II, for every dollar lost in cargoes as the result of a “major” casualty at sea, two dollars are lost as the result of damage and loss of a “preventable” nature. Under preventable losses are listed fresh-wSter damage, breakage, leakage, slackage, oil-damage, theft, pilferage, non-delivery, etc. In all of these preventable losses one factor is outstanding, —that of insufficient or improper packing. In other words, poor packing continues to be a source of trouble for every one concerned: the shipper, the consignee, the steamship company, and the insurance company. Le gally, of course, if poor packing can be shown in the case of cargo-losses where the carrier has carefully loaded, hand led, stowed, carried, and discharged such cargo, the steam ship company is absolved of responsibility. Actually, a great bulk of the claims with which steamship companies are plagued today, is directly traceable to improper pack aging of goods shipped, and, even though not the responsi bility of the ship, requires costly time and effort in checking and handling correspondence. Shippers and consignees, alike, relying on the insurance companies to protect them BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IN MANILA: 1936 TO 1948 MONTH 1 1930 | (Value) 1 1937 | (Value) 1 1938 | (Value) 1 1939 | (Value) 1 1940 | (Value) 1 1941 | (Value) 1 1945 | (Value) 1 1946 1 | Value) | 1947 I (Value) | 1948 (Value) January.................. P540.030 P426.230 P694.180 P463.430 Pl,124,550 P891.140 P — Pl,662,245 P3,645,970 P6,571,660 February................ 720,110 479,810 434,930 1,063,050 1,025,920 467,790 — 2,509,170 3,270,150 6,827,005 March.................... 411,680 396,890 1,300,650 662,840 ♦ 671,120 641,040 — 3,040,010 3,398,910 7,498,560 April........................ 735,220 659,680 770,130 1,029,310 962,420 408,640 462,020 3,125,180 8,295,640 May........................ 400,220 670,350 1,063,570 1,139,560 740,510 335,210 1,496,700 3,968,460 5,564,870 June........................ 827,130 459,360 754,180 809,670 542,730 418,700 2,444,070 3,904,450 5,898,580 July......................;. 302,340 691,190 756,810 495,910 357,680 609,920 1,741,320 3,062,640 9,875,435 August.................... 368,260 827,660 627,790 622,050 554,570 661,860 306,680 1,418,360 4,889,640 7,428,260 September....... 393,100 777,690 684,590 590,380 53,0830 1,015,250 7,326,570 7,770,310 October.................. 363,120 971,780 718,190 645,310 738,700 699,040 639,030 4,630,550 6,747,240 November............. 460,720 320,890 972,310 461,580 485,100 315,930 1,364,310 4,373,390 7,088,283 December............. 648,820 849,160 503,230 1,105,970 333,490 67,553 1,605,090 5,034,600 4,924,320 Total............ 6,170,750 7,530,690 9,280,560 ’ 9,053,250 8,234,460 5,692,273 12,186,150 47,526,905 73,907,248 Annual Average.. 514,229 627,557 773,380 754,438 686,205 474,356 1,015,513 3,960,575 6,158,937 Compiled by the Bureau of the Census and Statistics from data supplied by the City Engineer’s Office. 162 May, 1948 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 163 in their claims, lose sight of the fact that the losses due to insufficient packing inevitably affect insurance rates, freight rates, and in the end may jeopardize the entire market, as consumers must in time rebel against paying higher prices for goods or accepting damaged goods because a few cen tavos have been saved by using an inferior type of container or packing. Alvin Roberts, in the article referred to, summarizes a few exceedingly valuftble suggestions on types of containers available for export packing: “Nailed Wood Crates “Open crates are not recommended unless the contents are of an almost indestructible nature. Use fully sheathed crates with enough substantial frame members and diagonals so arranged that the crate can withstand by itself heavy lateral blows and a great deal of unevenly distributed superimposed weight. Interior item should be substantially skidded and preferably bolted to crate-base through decking and skids. Line interior of crate (except base) with waterpoof paper. Use preser vative — not any old oil — on metal surfaces of contents subject to corrosion. “Nailed Wood Boxes “Design to meet export requirements and use the best seasoned lumber available. Overloading is just as fatal as leaving inside free space which permits the load to shift. Don’t use second-hand boxes. Where contents are valuable and pilferable, use pilferproof clips. “Cleated Plywood Boxes “Use plywood strong enough for export. Provide sufficient inter mediate cleats so that unframed area in any direction between cleats does not exceed 24 inches. “Barrels (Slack or Tight) “Properly dog all hoops. Reinforce heads with cleats applied at right angles to cants. “Fibreboard Cartons “Don’t use domestic cartons for export. They are neither designed or sold for this use, being wide open to crushing and pilferage. If only these are available, overpack 6 or 8 in an open, slatboard wood crate. “Marking “ If contents are subject to pilferage, marks must not reveal contents or name of well known shipper. Use stencils rather than free hand marks. Use cautionary handling marks in English and in lan guage of country of destination. “Strapping “All containers must be strapped; wood boxes around girth and plywood boxes around cleats. Reinforce sheathed crates with angle irons at corners and along edges. “Always give consignees prompt notification of shipments and urge that they take delivery without delay. The longer a shipment is in transit, the greater is the exposure to loss or damage.” Since most of us in the Philippines fall into the cate gory of “consignees” of shipped goods, the question may arise as to the applicability of the foregoing to us. The fact remains that it is we who in the long run pay the costs of "preventable” damage; it is we who are in the position of buyers who can stipulate adequate packing as a part of our order to the exporter, and insist that adequate stan dards of packing be observed. Ocean Shipping By F. M. Gispert Secretary, Associated Steamship Lines EXPORT figures for March of this year showed a slight increase over exports during March, 1947, i.e., 141,396 tons for March this year, as against 135,395 tons ATLANTIC GULF & PACIFIC COMPANY OF MANILA EXECUTIVE & SALES OFFICE ENGINEERING DEPT. & SHOPS 222 REGINA BUILDING PUNTA, SANTA ANA TEL. 2-83-64 TEL. 8-63-32 ENGINEERS—CONTRACTORS DISTRIBUTORS FOR FAIRBANKS MORSE & CO. GARDNER DENVER CO. CHAIN BELT CO. ARMCO INTERNATIONAL CORP. PIONEER ENGINEERING WORKS YORK CORPORATION LINCOLN ELECTRIC CO. WALSH REFRACTORIES CORP. MARION POWER SHOVEL CO.

pages

162-163

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