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Cebu ports handled 6.235 million metric tons of cargoes in January 2026, up 11% year-on-year
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Both domestic and international shipments recorded double-digit growth
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Container traffic grew 11.8% to 81,778 TEUs while Ro-Ro traffic increased 5% to 169,325 units
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Ship calls were 9.7% less while passenger traffic dropped 3.5% to 1.858 million
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Argao subport handled the biggest cargo volume while Pier 1 recorded the highest container traffic in January 2026
Cebu ports handled 11% more cargoes in the first month of 2026 with both domestic and international shipments recording double-digit growth during the period, according to preliminary data from the Cebu Port Authority (CPA).
Ports under CPA jurisdiction recorded 6.235 million metric tons (mt) of cargo in January 2026, higher than the 5.616 million mt posted in January 2025.
Domestic cargoes accounted for 82.2% of the total or 5.128 million mt, an 11.1% increase from 4.614 million mt in January last year.
International cargoes likewise improved 10.6% to 1.107 million mt from 1.002 million mt previously, mainly due to the 14.6% year-on-year growth on import cargoes to 985,931 mt.
Export cargoes handled, in contrast, dropped 13.7% to 121,562 mt from 140,818 mt in January 2025.
Of CPA’s ports, Argao subport recorded the biggest cargo volume in January 2025, handling 20.7% or 1.294 million mt. It was followed by Toledo subport with 900,831 mt or a share of 14.4%.
In terms of containers, CPA ports saw an 11.8% increment to 81,778 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in January 2026 from 73,119 TEUs in January last year.
Domestic containers posted the biggest increase of 25.3% to 38,444 TEUs from 30,692 TEUs in January 2025.
Foreign containers, which accounted for 53% of the total, rose 4.4% to 43,334 TEUs from 41,525 TEUs.
Import containers, however, declined 1.7% year-on-year to 19,724 TEUs while export containers improved 10% year-on-year to 23,610 TEUs.
Pier 1 handled the biggest volume with 28,862 TEUs, followed closely by Cebu International Port (CIP) with 28,071 TEUs.
Roll-on/roll-off traffic that passed through CPA ports grew 5% to 169,325 units in January 2026 from 161,247 units in January 2025.
Ship calls, on the other hand, were 9.7% less in January 2026 with a total of 12,115 vessels from 13,413 vessels in the same month last year.
The lower calls was mainly due to the 9.8% decline in domestic ship calls to 12,014 from 13,322 vessels previously.
Foreign ship calls, meanwhile, were 11% higher at 101 vessels from 91 vessels.
Passenger traffic dropped 3.5% in January 2026 to 1.858 million from 1.926 million in January last year.
READ: Cargo volume at Cebu ports expands by 5.5% in 2025
CPA’s jurisdiction is composed of the Cebu baseport and its subports that are strategically located in different points of Cebu. Cebu baseport is composed of CIP and the domestic zone, while subports include the ports of Mandaue, Danao, Sta. Fe, Toledo and Argao.
A new port, the New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP), is being constructed in Tayug, Consolacion, some eight kilometers from the Cebu baseport. Once operational, NCICP will handle international cargo operations while the Cebu baseport will service domestic and bulk and breakbulk shipments.
READ: CPA gives discounts, suspends port charges
The new international terminal is seen as the long-term solution to growing volumes handled at CIP, which currently handles foreign cargoes at Cebu baseport.— Roumina Pablo
