Our Company

 

ORIENTAL PORT & ALLIED SERVICES CORPORATION (OPASCOR), is a workers’-owned and -operated Filipino company providing port services to vessels calling at the Cebu International Port (CIP) of Cebu City, Philippines.  Established in 1990 by its workers-owners, OPASCOR’s expertise in delivering cargo handling and other allied port services has been honed through more than twenty-five years of experience.  OPASCOR is an Integrated Management System (IMS) certified for International Standards on Quality (ISO 9001:2015), Environment (ISO 14001:2015) and Safety (BSOHSAS 18001:2007).

The company operates in a 12-hectare facility within the CIP.  It has the most upgraded facilities in container terminal operations outside Metro Manila.  It has two subsidiaries, namely, Golden Continental Port Terminal Services, Inc. in Cagayan de Oro and Diadem Terminal Maritime Services & Realty, Inc. (DIADEM) in Cebu City.

OPASCOR is engaged primarily in providing arrastre and stevedoring services.  It also offers ancillary services such as cranage, stripping and stuffing, lift-on and lift-off, hustling of cargoes, stackpiling, checkering, warehousing, bulk-handling and reefer monitoring. Through its subsidiary DIADEM, it provides truck-scale, fumigation services, container yard and trucking services.

History

OPASCOR was established when the former workers of the Cebu Port Operations of the National Stevedoring and Lighterage Corporation (CPO-NSLC) pooled their retirement and separation benefits to incorporate OPASCOR and buy the assets of its former employer, CPO-NSLC. 

CPO-NSLC was a non-performing government-owned and -controlled corporation engaged in providing cargo-handling services at the CIP.  During President Cory Aquino’s administration, the thrust was to privatize losing GOCCs such as CPO-NSLC.  The privatization program drew the interest of CPO-NSLC employees who dreamt of operating their own business.  It took almost four years before the said workers successfully convinced the government for them to own, manage and operate the business they worked for since the pre-war period. The unique buy-out thus ensued when the government allowed the workers of CPO-NSLC to buy the latter’s assets through their newly formed corporation, OPASCOR. 

On 16 June 1990, OPASCOR formally took over the cargo handling operations of CPO-NSLC at the CIP with its stockholders as employees. It was then presented to the business community as the first cargo handling company that is fully owned and operated by its workers.

The incorporation of OPASCOR paved the way to the birth of a workers’ enterprise, a business owned and operated by its employees.  Its founding and establishment was aptly called by then DTI Secretary Jose Concepcion as the “birth of people’s capitalism” in the Philippines.

Modernization

When it started operating in 1990, OPASCOR was a struggling company with a meager capital.  When it bought CPO-NSLC, the latter’s equipment was mostly old and outdated.  In order to meet the demand for higher productivity, OPASCOR carried out an equipment modernization program by acquiring modern cargo-handling equipment.  In 1996, OPASCOR prided itself for being the first cargo handler outside Manila to have acquired ship-to-shore Gantry Quay Cranes and Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTG) Cranes for its containerized operations. 

The modernization of OPASCOR’s port operation triggered a remarkable increase in the productivity levels and reduced port time of vessels at berth. These attracted foreign shipping lines and agents to the port of Cebu City.  At present, OPASCOR is servicing several foreign vessels that call regularly at the CIP allowing Cebu-based shippers huge savings as they no longer need to export or import cargoes via the ports of Manila.

 

Growth & Expansion

With the continuing growth of OPASCOR, its top management felt the need to expand.  In 2008, OPASCOR acquired brand new fumigation and truck scale facilities through its fully-owned subsidiary, DIADEM and now provides round-the-clock container fumigation and truck scale services to all port users daily as a welcome addition to its growing business portfolio.  In 2014, DIADEM started operating an empty Container Depot [with its own fleet of Prime Movers & Trailers] to supplement OPASCOR’s operations at CIP. 

Far from the crude cargo-handling equipment OPASCOR once utilized in its operations, OPASCOR now deploys state of the art equipage in delivering its core services.  It completed the conversion of its three gantry cranes from analog to digital and has acquired a brand new Quay Crane and Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTG) Cranes.  To date, OPASCOR has a total of 5 Gantry Quay Cranes and 14 RTG Cranes.

For easier monitoring, data accuracy and increased efficiency, OPASCOR has installed an automated information system for its container operations which it proudly calls OpTOS (OPASCOR Terminal Operation System).  Developed by its MIS Section, OpTOS currently has the following system modules: Truck Weighing System, Gate Operations, Container Yard Operations, Vessel Operations, Cashiering & Billing System (OpTOS Financial) and OpTOS-EDI System.  OpTOS is currently under extensive enhancements to cover OPASCOR’s operations for general cargoes and its container freight station activities and loading advice to incorporate the new policy pertaining to Verified Gross Mass (VGM).

Continual Improvement

Committed to deliver optimum quality in port services always, OPASCOR is seriously working in continually improving in the areas of Resource Management [Equipment, Technology, Infrastructure and People].  OPASCOR recently installed  sixty-five (65) camera CCTV System covering strategic areas at the CIP to ensure that the different services rendered at the port are well monitored 24/7 including activities affecting the safety and security inside its premises.