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The Public Private Partnership Center of the Philippines awarded PwC Philippines (Isla Lipana & Co.) the consultancy services contract for the Poro Point Seaport Modernization Project
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PPPC in a notice of award dated July 13 granted Isla Lipana the P68.078 million contract for the preparation and transaction advisory service for the project
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The consultancy work involves determining the most appropriate or optimal PPP arrangement of the project
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The Poro Point Seaport Modernization Project would cover financing, engineering design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the seaport located within the freeport zone in La Union
The Public Private Partnership Center of the Philippines (PPPC) has awarded Isla Lipana & Co. (PwC Philippines) the consultancy services contract for the Poro Point Seaport Modernization Project.
PPPC, in a notice of award dated July 13, granted PwC Philippines the P68.078 million contract for the preparation and transaction advisory service for the project that aims to modernize the seaport that is located within the 236.5-hectare Poro Point Freeport Zone in La Union.
The expected output of the consultancy work would be to determine the most appropriate or optimal public-private partnership arrangement of the project, considering the concerns of all stakeholders as well as pertinent rules and regulations.
PwC Philippines is part of the PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited global network, one of the world’s biggest professional services and consultancy firms.
Earlier, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) secured provisional funding under PPPC’s Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) to engage consultants to undertake end-to-end preparation of the project under a PPP arrangement. In 2024, the Asian Development Bank and the Philippine government signed a loan agreement to infuse additional funding for the PDMF.
The project involves the financing, engineering design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a modernized Poro Point Seaport, currently operated by BCDA subsidiary Poro Point Management Corp.
BCDA said the project aims to transform the current bulk and break-bulk terminal – San Fernando International Seaport (SFIS) – into a world-class logistics hub with modern port infrastructure and systems, enabling full containerization, streamlining logistics, and strengthening Northern Luzon’s role in global trade.
SFIS currently only handles bulk cargo and principally imports oil products, cement, and fertilizers, and exports ore concentrates, timber, and gold.
The port is contained within a 30-hectare area, of which, approximately 15-hectares are cleared and titled to BCDA. The agency has earmarked an additional 50-hectare industrial area adjacent to the seaport for the expansion, modernization, ancillary services, and other amenities supporting the project.
The project will enable full containerization, including the establishment of container terminals and automated yard systems; installation of quay and yard cranes for faster cargo turnaround; expansion of storage and stacking areas; deployment of advanced terminal operating systems, gate automation, and digital freight management; improvement of road and future rail connectivity for seamless cargo movement; as well as integration of gender, environmental, and climate safeguards into planning and design.
Once completed, the facility will anchor regional industries, support supply chains, and position Poro Point as a strategic gateway for northern Luzon, BCDA said.
Construction for the modernization project is targeted to start in 2027 and finish by 2029.
