THE Philippines’ billionaire ports have failed to meet their respective revenue targets during the first nine months of the year, with the largest oil and container ports pulling down the Bureau of Customs’ collecdtion to its lowest this year.

Data from the bureau showed that the oil port of Batangas incurred the highest deficit among all ports at P10.81 billion, a huge drop from its P46.14 billion target after the agency raised P35.33 billion at end-September. The country’s largest container port, Manila International Container Port, sustained the second largest collection shortfall of P8.54 billion, or 14 percent of its P60.47-billion goal for the period. For the first nine months, MICP collected P51.92 billion.

The Port of Manila was 15 percent short of its P50.08 billion goal after raising merely P42.4 billion. Ninoy Aquino International Airport also registered a shortfall collection of seven percent, after collecting P15.62 billion of its P16.92-billion target. The oil port of Limay was the only billionaire port that surpassed its target, with collections of P24.15 billion, which was 11 percent higher than its P21.7 billion goal. These five ports account for about 85 percent of the BOC revenues.