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Maharlika Investment Corp. and DP World are eyeing a partnering in the logistics industry
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The companies signed a memorandum of understanding on May 2 at Malacañan Palace witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr
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The collaboration is focused on building a world-class logistics platform, with the goal of significantly enhancing the efficiency, capacity, and connectivity of Philippine supply chains
Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) and DP World are eyeing a partnership in the logistics industry.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in Malacañan Palace on May 2, witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., who laid the groundwork for the event in an earlier visit to the United Arab Emirates, MIC president and CEO Rafael Consing said at the “Doing Business with the Philippines” forum in Taguig City on May 27.
“Basically, we’re just exploring opportunities to develop logistics across the country. It’s very preliminary and it’s going to be very logistics-focused,” he said.
Later on his LinkedIn page, Consing noted: “I am thrilled to announce a significant step towards a more robust Philippine logistics sector,” Consing said. As an archipelagic nation, “ports and logistics transcend mere infrastructure; they actively forge our lifelines—connecting us to each other and the world—and are fundamental to powering our economic health.”
Better connectivity translates directly to lower costs for businesses and families, he said, noting this makes the country’s exports more competitive, creates essential jobs, and signals to the world that the Philippines is building for growth.
“Ultimately, it helps lay the foundation for wider prosperity,” Consing said.
The collaboration is focused on building a world-class logistics platform, with the goal of significantly enhancing the efficiency, capacity, and connectivity of Philippine supply chains.
The initiative is expected to directly attract significant foreign investment into the country through DP World, foster greater international trade, and drive substantial, inclusive economic growth across the archipelago.
Representing DP World during the signing of the MOU were their senior executives, including: His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Global Chairman and CEO; Glenn Hilton, CEO and Managing Director for Asia Pacific; Saeed Al Zari, Group Vice President for Government Affairs; William Khoury Abreu, DP World Holdings Philippines.
Besides Consing, joining the Philippine side were Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin; Special Envoy to the UAE for Trade and Investment, Ma. Anna Kathryna Y. Pimentel; His Excellency Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Philippines; and senior executives of MIC.
The alliance between Maharlika and DP World is a testament to the government’s commitment to infrastructure development and international cooperation, the MIC chief said. It promises to modernize the Philippines’ logistics landscape, leveraging crucial foreign investment from its partners, bolstering the Philippines’ competitiveness in the global and regional trade arena, and ultimately benefiting the Filipino people.
On the same day the MOU was signed, Asian Terminals Inc. and DP World inaugurated the P5.7-billion Manila South Harbor modernization project. The project expanded annual terminal capacity by 25% to over two million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from the previous 1.45 million TEUs. It involved the extension of Pier 3 berth to over 600 meters; yard expansion to accommodate an additional 20,000 TEUs; deployment of two new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes; and purchase of eco-friendly landside equipment.
