The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has rolled out a series of relief measures to support stakeholders affected by ongoing tensions in the Middle East. These include a five percent reduction in selected port fees and an extension of free storage periods for cargo.
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose Aliño said the initiatives are designed to stabilize costs in key sectors such as transportation and food, while strengthening investor confidence and preventing supply chain disruptions within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Effective April 8, following approval by the SBMA Board, a five percent reduction has been applied to charges on commercial vessels. These include harbor fees, berthing or anchorage fees, and harbor cleaning fees.
The reduced rates will remain in effect until geopolitical conditions improve.
Vessel owners may avail of the discount through their designated ship agents or shipping companies, which are expected to pass on the savings to their clients.
Similarly, a five percent reduction is being implemented on wharfage and storage fees for cargo.
For operations at the Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation (SBITC) New Container Terminals and joint venture areas, storage charges will be categorized as either fixed or variable, depending on the applicable arrangement.
Terminal operators, brokers, consolidators, and processors are required to reflect these reductions in their billing to clients and cargo owners.
In addition, SBMA is reducing by five percent its share in several service-related fees, including pilotage, tugboat services, line handling, water tendering, bunkering, hauling, heavy equipment rental, chandling, and cargo-handling services for containerized shipments.
To further ease costs, SBMA has extended the free storage period by two days across all cargo types.
The new free storage durations are as follows: 12 days for imports (from 10 days), nine days for exports (from seven days), 12 days for transshipment cargo (from 10 days), and four days for domestic cargo (from two days). However, once cargo exceeds the free storage period, storage charges will be computed retroactively from the first day until final discharge.
Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ronnie Yambao also announced the suspension of several regulatory fees. These include SBMA’s share in terminal operator revenues for liquid bulk cargo handling, the one percent admission fee for liquid bulk cargo, and the planned ten percent increase in cargo handling and miscellaneous charges for non-containerized or general cargo.
With the suspension of the ten percent increase, tariff rates for non-containerized cargo revert to their levels prior to January 31, 2026. However, SBMA’s share remains at 15 percent.
Based on projections for 2026, SBMA estimates that these measures will generate approximately ₱76 million in total fiscal relief over one year. Of this amount, around ₱49 million will come from direct tariff reductions, while the suspension of new policies is expected to yield an additional ₱25 million in savings.
The extension of free storage periods is projected to contribute about ₱2 million in operational savings for port stakeholders.
These initiatives also align with Executive Order No. 110, which declared a state of national energy emergency in response to uncertainties in global oil supply.
According to Aliño, the measures aim to ease the financial burden on Freeport locators and stakeholders while helping protect consumers nationwide from rising costs. (SNL)
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