-
Asian Terminals Inc.-Batangas is proposing a P100 passenger terminal fee at Batangas port, up 233% from the current P30 fee
-
The petition for increase is “a cost recovery measure” meant to “sustain the high standards at the terminal”
-
ATIB noted there has been no increase in passenger terminal fee at Batangas since 2010
-
The request is compliant to contractual commitments and the eligibility requirements by PPA, the company said
Asian Terminals Inc.-Batangas (ATIB) is proposing a P100 passenger terminal fee at Batangas port, up 233% from the current P30 fee.
The increase is “a cost recovery measure” meant to “sustain the high standards at the terminal,” ATIB said in a presentation during the public hearing of its proposal submitted on July 4.
ATIB noted there has been no increase in passenger terminal fee at Batangas since 2010.
The terminal operator said its petition, which was submitted in October 2024, was found to be compliant to contractual commitments and the eligibility requirements under Section 11 of Philippine Ports Authority Administrative Order (AO) No. 11-2019, which provides the authority’s omnibus rules of procedure on private service provider-initiated applications for new tariff and adjustment of fees and charges in ports.
ATIB said the proposed fee was computed using the total cost to operate the terminal divided by the projected paying passenger volume.
Of the proposed P100 terminal fee (inclusive of value-added tax) ATIB said 38% will be for the maintenance and upkeep of facilities to ensure the standards and efficiency of the infrastructure and passenger service quality for a long time; 18% goes to labor costs; 14% goes to safety and security expenses to safeguard passengers and stakeholders’ and the rest to cover the cost of utilities and other administrative costs for daily operations.
Students, persons with disability (PWD), the elderly, and uniformed personnel and Medal of Valor recipients and their first-degree dependents remain exempt from the terminal fee.
ATIB said the fee includes free use of the playrooms and prayer rooms, restrooms, breastfeeding area, ambulance for emergency transport, shuttle service from the terminal gates to the vessel ramps, push carts, e-shuttles and wheelchairs, water refilling stations, wi-fi and charging stations, clinic services and first aid medicines.
The operator compared its proposed terminal fee to some facilities, such as the P104.5 fee in North Port, Manila North Harbor, P150 for Boracay, and P200 for Ninoy Aquino International Airport (set to increase to P390 by September).
Moreover, ATIB said the “modernization of the Batangas passenger terminal was achieved without any cost to government under the public-private partnership framework.”
Inaugurated in April 2024, the $25-million modernization project expanded the passenger terminal building’s floor area to 15, 000 square meters (sqm) from the previous 4,500 sqm, allowing the facility to handle over 8,000 passengers at any one time or nearly 400% capacity growth from the previous 1,700 passengers.
Stakeholders are given until July 11 to submit their position papers on the proposal. – Roumina Pablo
