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The province of Batangas is well-positioned to strengthen its role as a major cargo hub in the Philippines, Finance secretary Ralph Recto said, citing both recent and upcoming developments on port facilities
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Recto pointed to the planned Phase II expansion of the Batangas Container Terminal in Batangas City as well as International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s Luzon International Container Terminal, which is being constructed in the nearby town of Bauan
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Recto highlighted the role of sea ports in the country’s economy and boosting investors’ confidence, noting that these serve as the “gateways to good governance”
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Recto also commended the Port of Batangas for its technology modernization initiatives
The province of Batangas is well-positioned to strengthen its role as a major cargo hub in the Philippines, Finance secretary Ralph Recto said, citing both recent and upcoming developments on port facilities.
In a visit to the Port of Batangas last week as part of a series of port inspections, Recto pointed to the planned Phase II expansion of the Batangas Container Terminal in Batangas City as well as International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) Luzon International Container Terminal, which is being constructed in the nearby town of Bauan.
READ: Construction of ICTSI’s Bauan terminal begins in Sept
Recto highlighted the role of sea ports in the country’s economy and security.
“We need to work more closely together to build a port system that is cleaner, faster, and more secure — one that not only powers trade, but earns trust, here and abroad. Because trust is what brings in investments, creates jobs, and drives lasting growth,” he said.
“Investors don’t just look at our economic data. What matters more is how we move our goods, how we enforce our rules, and how we protect their trust. So, let’s make our ports not just gateways of goods, but gateways of good governance,” he added.
The Port of Batangas has an average annual collection of P224.0 billion, representing 24.5% of the total revenue collection of the Bureau of Customs, the Department of Finance said in a statement.
This year, the port has collected P194.73 billion from January to October, 5.53% higher than the same period last year.
Handling an average of 133 vessels per month, or about four vessels daily, the Batangas Port moves over 1.6 billion metric tons of goods monthly and processes around 374 containers each day, making it one of the busiest and most productive ports in the country.
Motor vehicles and oil remain the top revenue drivers of the Port, accounting for over 85% of total collections.
Its top importers — Toyota Motor Philippines, Shell Pilipinas, and Unioil Petroleum —have a combined contribution of over 38% of total revenues. Other importers include Mitsubishi Motors, Ford Group, BYD, Nissan, Suzuki, Chevron, and South Premiere Power Corporation.
“With much of that revenue coming from motor vehicles, fuel, and petroleum products, we can say that this is the port that keeps our cars running and our cities powered,” Recto said.
Port operator Asian Terminals Inc. said in October that it is investing around P3 billion to expand Batangas port’s capacity to handle completely-built up cars.
READ: ATI to spend P3B to expand Batangas port’s CBU-handling capacity
Recto also commended the Port of Batangas for its technology modernization initiatives such as the Marine Traffic App, the ATI Mobile Port App, and the VIN Decoder App, which track vessels in real-time.
In addition, the port also utilizes a Centralized Dashboard to track collections and cargo, as well as a Doc Tracker, which streamlines document processes.
“For we know that every delay cut, every leak plugged, every peso saved from corruption — is a peso earned for the Filipino people,” Recto said.
Recto was joined during the visit by Finance undersecretary Maria Luwalhati Dorotan-Tiuseco, assistant secretary Dakila Elteen Napao, Customs deputy commissioner Agaton Teodoro Uvero, and District Collector Carmelita Talusan.
