Port of Manila

The Port of Manila (Filipino: Pantalan ng Maynila) refers to the collective facilities and terminals that process maritime trade function in harbors in Metro Manila. Located in the Port Area and Tondo districts of Manila, facing Manila Bay, it is the largest and the premier international shipping gateway to the country. The Philippine Ports Authority, a government-owned corporation, manages the Port of Manila and most of the public ports in the country. It is composed of 3 major facilities, namely Manila North Harbor, Manila South Harbor, and the Manila International Container Terminal.

Trade in Manila Bay dates at least ninth to twelfth centuries when Manila traded with neighboring countries including China and Japan, with ties to India through the areas that are now Malaysia and Indonesia. During the Spanish Colonial Era of the Philippines Manila handled trade with China and other East Asian countries, with Mexico, with Arab countries, and directly with Spain from the 16th to mid-19th century when the port was opened to all trade. This was the galleon trade that connected the Philippines to Spain via Mexico, another Spanish territory. From the end of the galleon trade, through the American Colonial Era of the Philippines and Philippine independence, until today, the Port of Manila has been the main port of the Philippines for both domestic and international trade.

The port is part of the Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast to the south via Singapore towards the southern tip of India, to Mombasa, then through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean with its connections to Central and Eastern Europe.

The entrance to Manila Bay is 19 kilometers (12 mi) wide and expands to a width of 48 kilometers (30 mi). Mariveles, in the province of Bataan, is an anchorage just inside the northern entrance, and Sangley Point is the former location of Cavite Naval Base. On either side of the bay are volcanic peaks topped with tropical foliage. 40 kilometers (25 mi) to the north is the Bataan Peninsula and to the south is the province of Cavite.

Manila North Harbor (seaport code:MNN), occupies a 53-hectare (130-acre) area in Tondo, Manila and is operated by the Manila North Harbour Port Inc., a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. It has 7 piers (numbered with even numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14). North Harbor is accessible through Mel Lopez Boulevard (Radial Road 10).

The North Port Passenger Terminal, opened in 2013, can accommodate 2–3 million passengers sailing on inter-island ferries to cities throughout the archipelago. It is the main hub of 2GO ferry company, the largest inter-island ferry company in the Philippines.

Manila South Harbor (seaport code:MNS), is an 80-hectare (200-acre) port facility located in Port Area, Manila operated by Asian Terminals Incorporated, with 5 piers numbered with odd-numbers 3, 5, 9, 13 and 15. It is accessible through Bonifacio Drive/Radial Road 1 and has a passenger terminal located between Pier 13 and 15 named Eva Macapagal Super Terminal. It was formerly the main hub of 2GO ferry company. In April 2014, a new Liebherr quay crane was installed to increase the efficiency of the harbor.

Manila International Container Terminal (seaport code:MNL) is operated by International Container Terminal Services Inc. It is one of Asia's major seaports and one of the Philippines' most active ports. It is located between the Manila North Harbor and the Manila South Harbor and can be accessed by road through MICT South Access Road.