US Pledges Over $100 Million for Subic Bay Infrastructure Upgrades

The United States has committed to delivering more than $100 million in new foreign assistance to upgrade infrastructure in Subic Bay, following a meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila on July 22.

The commitment was disclosed by U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott. The funding, to be pursued in coordination with the U.S. Congress, is intended to advance logistics and energy projects in Subic as part of the broader Luzon Economic Corridor, a trilateral infrastructure initiative involving the United States, Japan and the Philippines that links Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas.

A State Department fact sheet released in connection with Rubio's broader Southeast Asia trip specified that the funding will support upgrades to port facilities in Subic and a fuel storage terminal with a capacity exceeding 120 million liters.

The Subic pledge was raised in the same meeting in which Rubio and Marcos discussed the Philippines' expanding role in Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative to build secure semiconductor and artificial intelligence supply chains among allied nations. 

According to the State Department, the two leaders also discussed the Philippines hosting Pax Silica's first Economic Security Zone, an AI and advanced manufacturing hub planned for New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, separate from the Subic infrastructure funding.

The Port of Subic was recently identified as the logistics gateway for the Pax Silica initiative, positioning the Subic Bay Freeport to support the supply chain network the program is intended to build among participating countries.

The Subic funding announcement was made in the context of the corridor's upcoming inaugural Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum, scheduled for September, which the State Department readout said was also discussed during the meeting.

The State Department readout also noted that Rubio and Marcos discussed freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, the tenth anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award, and a five-year Health Strategic Objective Agreement between the two countries. (SNL)

Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesperson (readouts and fact sheet, July 2026).

Read More

PNOC Diesel Shipment Arrives at Subic Port, Boosting National Energy Security

The Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), a government-owned and controlled corporation, has received a major diesel fuel shipment at the Port of Subic Bay, marking a significant move to reinforce the country’s energy security amid global supply uncertainties.

The shipment, totaling 44,119 metric tons or approximately 329,505 barrels of diesel fuel, arrived in Subic Freeport on April 10 through the storage facilities of the Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation (PCSPC).

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Senior Deputy Administrator for Port Operations Ronnie Yambao said the arrival of the diesel cargo underscores the strategic role of Subic Bay in supporting the country’s fuel supply requirements.

He added that on March 30, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued a special permit to PNOC Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) to expedite the emergency importation of petroleum products, particularly diesel, to help stabilize the nation’s energy supply.

“The special permit is intended to streamline standard bureaucratic and customs procedures that could delay the immediate importation of fuel,” Yambao said.

PNOC-EC is set to procure a total of two million barrels of oil and 22,000 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as part of efforts to establish a national buffer stock aimed at mitigating price volatility and ensuring supply stability.

These emergency reserves are expected to add approximately 10 days of fuel supply while further strengthening the country’s LPG reserves in response to market disruptions in the Middle East.

Subic Bay Freeport is home to PCSPC, the country’s largest petroleum import storage facility, which holds a substantial share of the Philippines’ national fuel reserves.

The facility has an estimated storage capacity of 6.3 million barrels, or roughly one billion liters, accounting for around 20 percent of the country’s total fuel storage capacity.

Spanning approximately 160 hectares, the depot is strategically located across the Boton and Maritan Hill areas within the Freeport.

PCSPC also utilizes former infrastructure from the historic U.S. Naval Base in Subic Bay. During the height of the Vietnam War, the site reportedly handled the largest volume of fuel oil among all U.S. naval facilities worldwide.

Today, the facility remains a vital logistics hub for the storage and distribution of diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel to key markets including Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Northern Luzon. (SNL)

Read More

PCSPC to expand fuel storage by 6.3 million barrels in Subic Freeport

The Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation (PCSPC) is expanding their fuel storage capacity to 6.3 million barrels inside this premier Freeport.

During the groundbreaking ceremony at the Subic Bay Freeport on Tuesday, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan disclosed that the company is set to construct two new 180,000-barrel-capacity fuel storage tanks this year and the next.

Tan was the guest of honor at the groundbreaking ceremony led by PCSPC Chief Executive Officer Richard Tiansay at the Maritan Tank Farm here.

Senior Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Renato Lee III, PCSPC Chief Finance Officer Tricianne Zingapan, Metalife Builders Development Company, Inc. President Arnel Dumalaog and Vice President For Operations Milo Sesante were also present to witness the ceremony.

According to Tiansay, the two 180,000-barrel-capactiy fuel storage tanks cost of P800-million, with the first tank expected to be completed by March 2024, while the second tank by August 2024.

The two tanks will also be constructed at the Maritan Tank Farm.

He added that the construction of these two tanks were tasked to Metalife Builders Development Company, Inc., since the company has adhered with international standards. Tiansay also said that all tanks will be equipped with safety and environmental control equipment including fire protection and pollution control.

Chairman Tan said that the expansion of the company’s operations is welcome news, adding that part of his administration’s thrust is the development of existing companies inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. He also expressed that companies will certainly flourish under his term.

“We want Subic Bay Freeport to develop and become the preferred sustainable investment hub and eco-tourism destination in Asia Pacific by 2030. The construction of these two 180,000-barrel-capacity fuel storage tanks is a step forward towards that goal,” he added.

In 1993, PCSPC initially assumed operation that only had a 2.5-million barrels capacity. The company has then been expanding ever since. The Maritan expansion project, which started in 2012, is now on Phase 4 of the construction in the area.

The construction of the two barrels will increase the capacity of the PCSPC by up to 6.3-million barrels or one billion liters of fuel storage. Once operational, the project is expected to increase the vessel dockage at Subic Pier and tank truck deliveries, which will attract more petroleum fuel clients to utilize Subic Freeport as their fuel hub. (MPD-SBMA)

Read More

Philippine Coastal expands fuel storage in Subic

The Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation (PCSPC), which operates the fuel depot here and the fuel pipeline linking Subic to Clark Freeport, has expanded its operations here with the inauguration of three new 180,000 barrel fuel storage tanks and two tank-truck loading racks on Friday.

The groundbreaking ceremony at the Maritan Hill expansion site was attended by top officials from the PCSPC, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and the Aboitiz Construction Group, Inc., which fabricated the new storage tanks.

The operation of the three new tanks will increase PCSPC’s total fuel storage capacity to 5.2 million barrels, or 827 million liters, said PCSPC Chairman Michael Rodriguez.

“This considerable increase in storage is in response to our customers’ demand for quality and available fuel storage in Subic Bay, and we are pleased to be able to provide this new expansion to accommodate their needs.” Rodriguez said.

He also boasted that the construction of the three new storage tanks and the two tank-truck loading racks was completed within one year without any accidents.

The construction was “on time and on budget,” Rodriguez added.

SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma lauded the PCSPC project and noted that the construction of infrastructures within the Freeport can be done without any untoward incident. She added that the expansion of the fuel storage facility would also boost business in the Subic Bay Freeport.

PCSPC officials said the new tanks are on par with international standards and will increase the company’s total fuel storage by 540,000 barrels for various fuel products such as diesel, gasoline, jet and fuel oil.

The expansion also completed the PCSPC’s commitment to the SBMA to invest and build 1.8 million barrels of fuel tank storage at the Maritan tank farm.

The PCSPC’s strategic location inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone provides efficient importation of fuel products for storage and onward distribution along the network of well-maintained toll roads to Clark, Manila, Central and Northern Luzon.

“The Freeport also provides an efficient coastal location for hub operations with imports from regional refineries for onward export distribution to the region,” Rodriguez said.

The company has been operating the petroleum storage and pipeline facilities of the former US Naval Base in Subic. The facility was originally constructed in 1953 with a capacity of 2.4 million barrels, but PCSPC has doubled the fuel storage capacity over the past six years, with plans to further expand operation in the future. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

[1] Officials cut the ceremonial ribbon to inaugurate new fuel storage tanks at the PCSPC facility in the Subic Bay Freeport. From left: SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon Agregado, Ayta tribal elder Bonifacio Florentino, PCSPC Chairman Michael Rodriguez, SBMA Chairman Martin Diño, Aboitiz Construction President & COO Alberto Ignacio Jr., and PCSPC President & CEO David Attewill. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

Read More