THE building housing the Manila International Port (MICP) will be temporarily closed for disinfection, as one of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said.
But operations of the port itself, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) where BOC-MICP is located will continue.
The BOC in a statement said it has implemented its contigency plan pursuant to Department of Health guidelines, and shall immediately disinfect the whole of MICP building. The agency also said it continues to conduct contact tracing on its personnel.
Rey Leonardo Guerrero, customs commissioner, through a memorandum, directed unaffected offices of MICP to function normally which include vessel boarding, examination of goods and x-ray examination, among others.
All MICP importation will still be processed by its personnel and employees. Stakeholders are then advised to use the Customer Care Portal to submit their documents and process their transactions, and to use the Goods Declaration and Verification System to monitor the status of their shipments.
As a complementary workforce, Guerrero also instructed the Port of Manila to assist the MICP personnel, while the disinfection of the Port is underway.
The port itself, MICT, remains operational and is COVID-free, according to its operator International Container Terminal Services Inc.
