International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) will build a new port in Bauan, Batangas which will be the second-largest container facility after the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) which the Razon-led company also operates.
With an estimated cost of $800 million, this port will become the largest privately-funded marine terminal investment in the country’s history. It will also be the most modern container terminal in the country, according to ICTSI.
ICTSI said the design and engineering studies on the project are “well underway.”
Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2025, with the first berth scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
Upon completion, the Bauan terminal will feature up to 900 meters of quay and at least eight ship-to-shore gantry cranes and an estimated capacity of over 2 million twenty equivalent units (TEU) per annum, ICTSI said.
“The terminal will become a catalyst for economic growth across Southern Luzon, creating jobs and accelerating regional development. The terminal is also expected to play a role in providing the marine handling needs required by the country’s renewable energy transition strategy for Southern Luzon,” ICTSI said.
The facility will allow ICTSI to efficiently balance capacity needs across both the Metro Manila consumption center and Calabarzon through the new Bauan terminal and the MICT.
“The new terminal represents a significant leap forward for Southern Luzon. We are building a world-class facility that will unlock a wave of economic benefits for the region and the country. It will create new employment opportunities, improve the quality of life for our host communities and the industries located around the terminal, and solidify Southern Luzon’s position as a key player in global trade,” said Christian Gonzalez, ICTSI executive vice president.
Located 120 kilometers south of Manila and nine kilometers west of Batangas City, the Bauan facility will become the premier international gateway for shippers based in the Calabarzon, ICTSI said.
ICTSI also said the terminal will have “direct and unencumbered access to Southern Luzon’s expressways.”
This was made possible by the completion of the Bauan-San Pascual-Batangas-STAR tollway diversion road.
Additional expressway projects from Cavite to Bauan by Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and San Miguel Corp. are expected to further enhance the new port’s connectivity making it the most efficiently connected maritime facility in Luzon by both capacity and route access.
Citing figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority, ICTSI said Calabarzon “continues to be one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing regions, reaching a 5.2 percent growth rate in 2023.
The region’s gross domestic product stands at P3.10 trillion, representing 15 percent of the Philippines’ total GDP. Per capita Household Final Consumption Expenditure meanwhile, grew by 4.3 percent, exceeding the national average, ICTSI said.
