The $800-million Luzon International Container Terminal (LICT) in Bauan, Batangas is expected to begin construction this quarter and be fully operational by 2028, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). This forms part of ongoing efforts to shift cargo movement to Batangas and decongest the ports in Manila, PPA said.
Led by Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and PPA General Manager Jay Santiago, officials inspected the LICT site on August 1, signaling the government’s intent to transform Bauan into a key cargo gateway.
The LICT entails an $800-million investment from International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), positioning it to become the largest privately funded marine terminal in the Philippines.
In a statement on August 2, Santiago noted, “Right now, we’re seeing that most of the port traffic consists of vehicles. But this will become a container terminal—meaning it will handle cargo boxes or containers. Why? Because of the growing level of trade in our economy.”
The national government, together with its private partner ICTSI, is already planning to relocate cargo operations from Manila to Southern Luzon, Santiago said.
“We need to push for this shift so that manufacturing companies will also follow and relocate here. Once capacity is expanded, it won’t just be Metro Manila that benefits, but the entire CALABARZON region,” Santiago added.
Once completed, LICT will be the country’s second-largest container terminal, after ICTSI’s Manila International Container Terminal—significantly expanding national port capacity and reinforcing Southern Luzon’s role as a major trade and logistics hub.
PPA stated that construction will begin in the third quarter of 2025. The first phase is targeted for completion by end-2027, with full terminal operations slated for 2028.
The LICT will have direct access to key road networks including Makalintal Avenue, Palico-Balayan-Batangas Road, and Bauan-Mabini Road. Upcoming expressways linking Cavite to Bauan are also expected to boost accessibility and extend reach across CALABARZON, one of the country’s most dynamic economic corridors.
According to PPA data, cargo throughput in Southern Luzon climbed to 46.25 million metric tons (MT) in 2024, up from 44.52 million MT in 2023—reflecting a growth of approximately 3.89 percent.
The region accounted for 15.98 percent of the country’s total cargo volume, which reached 289.41 million MT last year.
The LICT will span 56.21 hectares and feature an 800-meter quay, berth depths of up to 18 meters to accommodate mega-ships, eight quay cranes, 20 rail-mounted gantries, and an annual handling capacity of more than two million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
