Manila Port Holiday Disrupts Bookings as Empties Mount

Four trucking groups in the Philippines launched a week-long 'Rest Day on the Ports' on October 5, 2026, halting container movements at Manila to press for relief from a worsening empty container backlog.

The backlog built up as shipping lines slowed acceptance of empty returns, stretching wait times from two weeks to as long as a month. Terminals filled with empties that had nowhere to go, blocking slots for import and export cargo. Hapag-Lloyd suspended bookings to Manila, Batangas, and Subic Bay.

Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Santiago said the long-term fix is for foreign shipping lines to build additional empty container yards, giving truckers an alternative when a line's own depot is full. A joint administrative order from five agencies (the Departments of Finance, Transportation, and Trade and Industry, along with Customs and the PPA) is pending signature. It would require shipping lines to relocate empties and open new yards at potential sites in Valenzuela, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna.

Not all trucking groups joined the stoppage. The Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations, representing about 60 percent of port-based truckers, kept working and called for government dialogue instead. Consumer groups warned the work holiday could slow deliveries of food, medicine, and fuel, and push retail prices up.

Philippine ports have faced repeated disruptions in recent months. In July, Typhoon Inday stranded 789 passengers across Philippine ports as services were suspended across the archipelago.

Port-related searches on MarineRadar tracked 17 unique devices over the past 48 hours.