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Mitra Bhum call strengthens Batangas’ links to key Asian trade hubs
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Asian Terminals Inc expects double-digit container growth at Batangas terminal in 2026
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More shipping lines, cargo locators exploring shift to Southern Luzon gateway
Batangas port is gaining another connection to the regional shipping network with container vessel Mitra Bhum’s maiden call, reinforcing Batangas’ growing role as an international gateway for Southern Luzon.
On September 3, Asian Terminals Inc.’s (ATI) Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) welcomed the Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Jiangsu Ocean Taican Container Lines Co. (TCLC), represented in the Philippines by Sino Cargoworks Agencies Inc.
The vessel is calling under a rotation linking Nanjing, Taicang, Batangas, Jakarta, Nanjing and Taicang, connecting Southern Luzon to two key economic and manufacturing hubs in Jiangsu province and onward to Indonesia.
The addition of the service comes as BCT positions itself to handle growing volumes from manufacturers, exporters and importers in the CALABARZON region.
ATI assistant vice president for Commercial, Ports & Terminals Reginald Rivera earlier told PortCalls that BCT is expected to post double-digit container growth in 2026, following a 14% increase in throughput to 307,000 TEUs in 2025 from 270,000 TEUs the previous year.
Rivera attributed the expected growth partly to larger-capacity vessels calling the terminal and more locators near Batangas gradually shifting their shipments to the Southern Luzon gateway. ATI was also in discussions with other shipping lines about adding Batangas calls.
READ: ATI anticipates record volume in Batangas port this year
BCT has an annual capacity of 600,000 TEUs. ATI is also developing additional logistics facilities in Batangas, including a warehouse scheduled to open in 2026 in response to demand from port users.
The latest vessel call supports ATI’s broader push to position the Batangas Integrated Port as a one-stop logistics hub serving cargo, passenger and automotive requirements in Southern Luzon.
ATI, which marked its 40th anniversary this year, said it has invested more than P42 billion in port infrastructure and modernization and continues to invest in port modernization, automation, digitalization, integrated logistics solutions and greener technologies.
The port operator said the Batangas Integrated Port has become a vital cargo and passenger hub, with its strategic location providing an alternative gateway for industries outside Metro Manila and supporting connections to regional and global markets.
Mitra Bhum, built in 2007, has a deadweight capacity of about 13,844 tons and can carry roughly 1,108 TEUs. The vessel operates on intra-Asia routes and has reefer plug capacity to support the movement of temperature-sensitive cargo.
The new call comes as stakeholders increasingly look to Batangas to provide faster and more efficient international shipping options for the growing industrial base across CALABARZON.
PortCalls’ inaugural Southern Luzon Logistics Conference & Exhibit 2026, held in July, highlighted the region’s emergence as a major logistics and trade corridor, with Batangas’ port infrastructure identified as a key component of its future growth.
