MANILA, The Philippines -- William Gothong & Aboitiz Inc (WGA), the largest inter-island shipping company in the Philippines, has purchased 11 container handlers worth USD3 million from Kalmar Industries.

WGA operations vice president Robert Kearney said the purchase was part of a materials handling equipment replacement program initiated in 2000.

WGA has expanded its container handling fleet in Manila to 46 units with the Kalmar purchase, which included three 45-tonne capacity reach stackers, seven 28-tonne capacity forklifts and one 8-tonne empty container side loader. WGA also purchased 3000 containers this year to supplement the 4000 it purchased in 2000.

"This completes our refleeting and rehabilitation program for the Manila operation, and we're now going out to the rest of the Philippines," Mr Kearney said.

WGA serves 23 major provincial ports throughout the Philippines, and was the first domestic shipping company in the country to be certified by the International Safety Management Code standard.

The company, which posted 29 percent growth in cargo despite a reduction in ships berthing, recorded net income of 563 million pesos (USD11 million) for the nine months to September, an increase from 195 million pesos (USD3.8 million) in 2000.