₱4.135-B multi-modal logistics, transport hub to rise in Subic Freeport

 

A ₱4.135-billion multi-modal logistics and transport hub will soon rise in this premier Freeport, as the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Subic Bay Freeport Grain Terminal Services, Inc. (SBFGTSI) partnered to construct this project.

Senior Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Renato Lee III and SBFGTSI Executive Vice President Lester C. Valdes recently signed the lease contracts and amendment to the existing contracts at the SBMA Corporate Boardroom on May 28, 2025.

According to Lee, the construction of the multi-modal logistics and transport hub will integrate sections along San Bernardino Road within the Subic Port District and parts of the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).

The committed investment for the proposed development of these areas includes P660-million for Lot 4, P1.8-billion for Lot 5, P801-million for Lot 6, P20-million for Lot 7, and P854-million for Lot 8. 

These developments include a petroleum tank farm, grain storage, an airport logistics hub, dry storage and warehouse facilities, cold storage areas, a commercial and hospitality hub for cruise ships, and a new wharf for ultra-large cruise ships. 

This is also seen to generate employment for 798 workers. 

“This is a huge step for Subic Bay Freeport as it reaches its goal to have a more modern air and seaport which are expected to boost the port’s capacity, increase competitiveness, and generate more revenue,” Lee said.

Subic’s port development program aligns with the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Development initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose projects are expected to be completed by the end of his term in 2028. These development projects inside the Subic Bay Freeport zone are part of the “Build Better More” project of President Marcos’ administration. (MPD-SBMA) 

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SBMA keeps Subic Freeport locators abreast on logistics automation, other services

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) held a Locators’ Forum at the Subic Bay Travelers Hotel on May 26, 2025 with 170 locators in attendance.

According to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño, the Subic Bay International Container Terminal Corp. (SBITC), SBMA Seaport Department, and SBMA Trade Facilitation and Compliance Department (TFCD) collaborated to stage the forum, which was also graced by SBMA Director Cecile Bobadilla-Bitare.

During the forum dubbed “Updates on Logistics Services, Port Projects and Automation,” Senior Deputy Administrator for Port Operations Ronnie Yambao cited in his opening message the ₱233-million state-of-the-art Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) launched in February 2024. The VTMS significantly improved the safety and operational efficiency of vessel tracking across the Freeport.

Yambao added that the agency is in the initial stages of procurement to implement the Shore Power Connection project, which would reduce air pollution from ships at berth by 95 percent.

“Phase 1, focusing on the New Container Terminal, is set to commence in 2026 with a budget of ₱100 million, followed by Phase 2 covering the Naval Supply Depot and Ship Repair Facility from 2027 to 2028, requiring P150 million,” he said.

He also mentioned the numerous port expansion projects with a total approximate budget of US$878.7 million, including a new Container Terminal 3 with a capacity of 300,000 TEUs, estimated at US$359 million; a multipurpose terminal at Redondo Peninsula, valued at US$162 million; a multipurpose terminal in Lower Mau, supporting bulk and break-bulk industries, costing US$182 million; and a dedicated cruise terminal to boost tourism, with an investment of ₱10.2 billion.

Furthermore, he added that the SBMA is enhancing its logistics capabilities to support multi-modal transport.

“The Freeport boasts a modern container terminal with a capacity of 600,000 TEUs, expandable to one million TEUs, and is accessible by land, sea, and air. Plans include integration with the Luzon Economic Corridor via railway,” he said.

The official also stated that the SBMA has implemented various automation initiatives to streamline cargo movement and enhance efficiency, including the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), Electronic Transit Admission Permit System (ETAPS), and Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS).

The agency is also considering a partnership with the Port of San Diego to transform Subic Freeport into a smart port city.

“This collaboration aims to integrate artificial intelligence, automation, break bulk cargo handling, shore power connections, cruise ship terminal development, and ship repair capabilities,” he said. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA enhances capability to accommodate growing demand for multi-modal logistics in Asia

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has enhanced this premier Freeport’s capacity and operational efficiency to keep up with the growing demand for multi-modal logistics in the Asian region. 

This was the statement made by SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator (SDA) for Port Operations Ronnie Yambao during the Super Terminal Expo 2024 held at the Hong Kong AsiaWorld-Expo on November 5, 2024.

The three-day expo is Asia’s pioneering design, construction and operations event that showcases the next wave of innovation in passenger and cargo terminal, while bringing together experts and decision-makers to shape next-gen airports.

The Super Terminal Expo's opening ceremony was graced by Michael Wong Wai-lun, acting Financial Secretary of the Government of the HK Special Administrative Region, Vivian Cheung, CEO of the HK Airport Authority, and other government officials and influential members from industry associations.

During a panel discussion, Yambao emphasized three important pillars in enhancing Subic Bay Freeport’s capacity and operational efficiency: first is automation, with systems in place to make cargo movement seamless and transactions much faster and more efficient; second is investment in infrastructure like port rehabilitation, the Vessel Traffic Management System or VTMS, and the acquisition of equipment; and third is by expanding the SBMA’s network thru trade missions and creating partnerships with different ports to increase trade and commerce.

He added that the automations installed in the SBMA are the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), Electronic Transit Admission Permit System (ETAPS), and Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS), which are pursuant to President Marcos Jr’s thrust on the ease of doing business thru automation.

“Subic Bay Freeport is the only Freeport in the Philippines that has a complete logistics infrastructure in one location, that is managed by the SBMA. It has an airport, and a seaport with a modern container terminal, and piers that can accommodate different types of cargo, to be connected to the Luzon Economic Corridor by a railway in the near future,” he further said.

It is accessible by land, sea, air, and in the near future, by railway. It has an airport and a seaport with modern facilities and a container terminal with a capacity of 600,000 TEUs that can be expanded to handle one million TEUs.

The freeport also boasts of four industrial parks with 15 piers that can accommodate commercial vessels and cruise ships. There are 1,900 companies operating in the Freeport with a total of USD12-billion worth of investments.  

“Locators in this Freeport enjoy fiscal incentives under the CREATE Law and all the ancillary services are available to complete the logistics ecosystem in this premier port. Lastly, the SBMA offers competitive rates in port services, in fact, we are 20 percent cheaper compared to Port of Manila,” he said.

Qualified export enterprises shall be entitled to four to seven years Income Tax Holiday (ITH) to be followed by 10 years five percent Special Corporate Income Tax (SCIT) or Enhanced Deductions.

Subic Bay is also a tourist and cruise ship destination.  Currently, the SBMA is developing a facility to be used as a home port for cruise ships. A home port is a port where a cruise ship will take on or change over the majority of its passengers, while taking on stocks, fuel and supplies. 

Team Philippines joined key global leaders in airports, aviation and logistics industries for the Super Terminal Expo 2024 where over 800 international and local aviation professionals were in attendance.

The SBMA is part of Team Philippines led by Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Airports and Aviation Roberto C.O. Lim. Yambao was part of the delegation along with Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD) Executive Director Amee Fabros, and Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) Chief Business Development Officer Melissa Feliciano. (MPD-SBMA) 

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SBMA, Thai firm OK feasibility study of major infra projects

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Bangkok-based Mahanakorn Partners Group Co., Ltd. (MPG) for the conduct of studies on the viability of various infrastructure projects proposed for construction inside this premier Freeport.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and MPG managing partner Luca Bernardinetti on Tuesday signed the agreement here that would allow MPG to conduct studies free of charge on infrastructure undertakings under the proposed “Greater Subic Bay Freeport Multimodal Transport and Access and Logistics Support Projects.”

According to Eisma, the proposed projects are in support of President Duterte’s “Ten Point Agenda” to accelerate infrastructure spending and pump-prime economic development through productivity, trade and investment.

“The projects focus on the different infrastructure developments to be established in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to catalyze its upgrading towards being a premier free port zone in Asia and the Pacific,” Eisma said.

“We want to help resolve congestion at the Port of Manila and ease traffic gridlock in the metropolis while shifting the momentum of development north toward the corridor of new wealth in Subic and Clark,” she added.

Eisma said that Subic and Clark are now at the epicenter of development as drivers of economic growth in the country.

Part of the study to be conducted will focus on the proposed construction of a 17.273-kilometer bypass road connecting the Subic seaport terminals directly to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) to provide exclusive routes for cargoes brought in and out of Subic Freeport.

Another project for study is the proposal to build a 17-kilometer bypass road Subic seaport to Segment 7 of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), a two-lane cargo trucks expressway and railway system, and a 25-kilometer bypass road from Tipo Road in Bataan to Castillejos, Zambales en route to the Redondo Peninsula to open up a 3,000-hectare new industrial site.

The MOU also covers the proposed upgrading of the existing Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) to world-class status, making it a viable alternative to the heavily congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as well as a strategic transshipment and logistics hub in the Asian region.

Eisma said that under the agreement, the feasibility studies to be conducted by MPG on the proposed projects is free-of-charge and has no future legal or financial commitment from the SBMA.

The agreement between the two parties will remain in force for one year, but may be extended upon mutual consent.

The Mahanakorn Partners Group is a holding company based in Bangkok, Thailand. It is comprised of several firms providing services on business consulting, legal and trade finance, as well as property management and development, among others. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and Mahanakorn Partners Group managing partner Luca Bernardinetti sign a memorandum of understanding for the conduct of feasibility studies of major infrastructure projects in the Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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DOTr approves Subic-Manila railway project

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said Wednesday it secured the green light from the Transportation Department to include a P100-billion elevated railway and expressway project from Subic Freeport to the port of Manila among priority projects.

SBMA chairman Martin Dino said the 100-kilometer multi-modal elevated railway and expressway project would greatly relieve port and traffic congestion in Metro Manila and increase cargo transit in Subic Port, which was currently operating at only a third of its rated capacity of 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers.

Dino said the construction of the project could be completed in 48 months. He said he would ask for Malacañang’s approval to have the project included for financing under the Philippine-China Framework of Cooperation.

Cargo unloading at the Port of Subic

Dino also said his team was already working on increasing Subic Bay Port’s capacity for new container terminals 3 and 4 by an additional 600,000 TEUs.

He also welcomed the appointment of lawyer Wilma Eisma as SBMA administrator, saying the Freeport now had “an excellent working team.”

“Now we can really move forward at Subic in our goal to raise investments and revenues, eliminate smuggling and stamp out corruption,” Dino said.

Eisma replaced former administrator Roberto Garcia and brought to Subic her wide management experience. She is expected to take over the post next week in what Dino described as “a great start to a new year in our effort to turn Subic into an anchor of national growth.”

This developed as the new win-win tandem vowed to promote Subic as a major alternative gateway for international cargos.

Dino, who was appointed by Malacañang in September, said there were “no more roadblocks to a wide-ranging reform in Subic, because now we can truly say we have an excellent working team.”

He said President Rodrigo Duterte was expected to name the remaining members of the SBMA board, the policy-making body, so the Freeport “can move rapidly and urgently in seeking new investments and building much-needed infrastructure.” (Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Standard)

http://www.thestandard.com.ph/business/225298/dotr-approves-subic-manila-railway-project.html

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SBMA proposes 100-km coastal road

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority asked the government to build a multi-modal 100-kilometer coastal highway from Subic Bay to the Port of Manila to help decongest traffic in the metropolis at a cost of P100 billion.

The “most viable and doable solution to the traffic congestion lies outside the metropolis,” Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Martin Dino said.


He said the project’s indicative cost “is the equivalent of only 34 days of cumulative business losses resulting from Manila’s traffic congestion.” The country is losing an estimated P3 billion a day from the traffic mess.

Construction could be completed in 48 months, he said.

Dino said he would ask for Malacañang’s approval to have it included for financing under the Philippine-China Framework of Cooperation.

“Many economic and social forces are now at play and our rapid and efficient response is critical to creating the environment conducive to promoting further growth and development,” Dino said.

“The economic benefits from the project would be immediate and enormous,” he said. (Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Standard)

http://thestandard.com.ph/business/224433/sbma-proposes-100-km-coastal-road.html

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House leaders back vital Subic-Manila coastal highway

HOUSE Leaders yesterday endorsed the construction of the 65-km coastal highway from Subic Bay to Manila to dramatically unclog the premier international shipping gateway to the country and decongest traffic in the metropolis.

In separate interviews, Quezon City Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone joined Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Martin Diño in seeking the approval of President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte to prioritize the project.

“Any road development towards MM is welcome due to the magnitude of the traffic problem. However, we should study further the best infrastructure available as the best alternative,” Castelo said.

“I am one hundred percent behind this proposal. However, let us start to lessen the centralization of economic activities in Metro Manila and prioritize the dispersal of industries to the provinces. And we can not start this process if we continue building structures going to Manila,” Batocabe, president of the Party-List Coalition (PLC) and chairman of the House special committee on climate change.

For his part, Evardone, who chairs the House committee on bank and financial intermediaries, said: “Any good plan that will help decongest Manila and its worsening traffic should be supported.”

Diño was referring to the new multi-modal highway for rail cargo and vehicular traffic, linking the Subic and Manila ports by the shortest route possible, dovetails with the Freeport’s planned expansion of its Container Terminals 3 and 4 to increase its handling capacity to 1.2 million TEUs or Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit.

He said the SBMA would boost as well the handling capacity of the Naval Supply Depot Compound and Bulk Cargo Port Wharves for loose cargoes, and rehabilitate the Sattler Pier, as modernizing its port facilities and rebuilding its aging infrastructure shift to high gear.

Diño said he has also sought the help of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar to provide technical assistance for the proposed widening of the narrow Tipo Road, which links the Freeport facility to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), into a four-lane highway and the construction of a new tunnel and bridge to accommodate the new lanes are also among his priorities.

He stressed that these projects should be undertaken simultaneously in this “golden age of infrastructure” as the Philippines rides the momentum as the best-performing economy in the region.

Also considered a vital part of the new road network is the 17.273-km bypass road for cargo trucks that would connect the Freeport terminals directly with the SCTEX in Hermosa, Bataan to provide easy transport for goods and services at the export processing zones in the area and in nearby towns in Pampanga, he said.

The bypass road would also relieve traffic buildup at the steep Tipo Road for vehicles and heavy trucks going in and out of the Freeport.

“Our goal is to connect Subic to Manila and the economic zones in Luzon,” Diño said. (Ryan Ponce Pacpaco, Journal Online)

PHOTO:
Aerial shot of the Port of Subic showing its container terminal, piers and warehouses.

Read More: http://www.journal.com.ph/news/top-stories/house-leaders-back-vital-subic-manila-coastal-highway

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Subic-Clark cargo railway sees fruition under Duterte's massive infra push

The Subic-Clark corridor will finally have its cargo railway system that will link the port of Subic to Clark's international airport, boosting cargo transport efficiency in the two free ports and at the same time decongest traffic in Metro Manila.

This, as the Duterte administration is set to launch the biggest infrastructure push in Philippine history to propel economic growth in the next five-and-a-half years.

The Subic-Clark Cargo Railway Project under the Duterte administration's infrastructure plan

Big-ticket infrastructure projects, specifically roads and bridges, mass urban transport and alternative green city solutions are among the key investments to be made by the Philippine government. These will solve the problems brought about by traffic congestion, inadequate mass transport facilities, air pollution, and the lack of healthy, green liveable community spaces.

The development mantra is: build, build and build.

The Duterte administration sees increased infrastructure spending as key to move the country forward and improve the lives of the Filipino people by generating massive investments, creating millions of jobs and lowering prices of commodities.

The country's lead infrastructure agencies are working in close coordination to build new facilities. The National Economic Development Agency (NEDA), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) are crafting the Duterte Infrastructure Plan. In three to five years, new and better roads, bridges, railways, rehabilitated airports and a new metropolis are envisioned to benefit the Filipino people.

According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) 2017 National Expenditure Program, in the first year of the Duterte presidency, infrastructure spending will represent 5.4 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product. This will be the highest since the Marcos era spanning 21 years when infra spending was at 3.2 percent of GDP.

Among the "game-changing solutions" of the DOTr that guarantee better transport and passenger experience are the Metro Manila Clark Railway which will assure one-hour travel from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport; the Metro Manila Bus Rapid Train System which will yield on-time trips along EDSA; and the Mindanao Railway which will provide the much-needed connection of people and goods across Mindanao.

For its part, the DPWH will build new linkages to ensure better connectivity between key destinations. These include the Santa Monica-Lawton-BGC Viaduct which will directly link BGC going to Ortigas; the UP-Miriam-Ateneo Viaduct which will cut down travel by 80 percent in Katipunan Ave at CP Garcia; and the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road which will reduce travel time to 30 minutes going to Alabang from Balintawak.

BCDA also eyes big-ticket projects in Central Luzon and Metro Manila. The Clark International Airport New Terminal Building is envisioned to be a world-class airport which will reduce traffic at the NAIA. BCDA also will continue to build a new city proximate to Metro Manila, a 9,450-hectare smart, green and disaster-resilient city that will be a long-term solution to traffic congestion in main urban centers.

Another project is the BGC to NAIA Bus Rapid Transit that will facilitate a 15-minute travel time from Fort Bonifacio to NAIA, preventing delays for passengers rushing to catch their flights whether for leisure or business.

The Philippines has been lagging behind its Asian neighbors in attracting foreign direct investments due to poor infrastructure, which has been traced to government underspending on such projects.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported: "At 21.8 percent of GDP [gross domestic product] in 2014, the investment rate in the Philippines is well below regional peers, as reflected in its low capital stock and infrastructure quality.”

Given the Duterte administration's development platform, a complete turnaround is expected in the next six years with bold solutions and swift action in responding to the pressing needs of the public through massive infra spending.

At present, feasibility studies are being done for the infra projects of the DPWH, DOTr and BCDA. These projects will be subject to public tender following stringent Philippine government procurement rules. In two years, these are envisioned to break ground, with a launch eyed in three to five years. (MARO-PCO)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2131478178859/build-build-build-duterte-to-launch-biggest-infrastructure-program-in-ph

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