By HENRY EMPEÑO | September 10, 2025

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) posted a total revenue of P1.023 billion from port operations in the first half of 2025, eclipsing its P976-million earnings in the same period last year, the agency said in a statement Wednesday, Sept. 10.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said the January-July 2025 record represented a 4.8% revenue increase attributable to an 18% surge in containerized imports and a modest 2.6% growth in containerized exports.

Subic boasts of 15 operational piers and wharves, including the 300,000-TEU New Container Terminals 1 and 2, a bulk fertilizer terminal, a bulk grains terminal, and a general cargo terminal.

SBMA port operations cover seaport and airport management, as well as trade facilitation and compliance services for port users.

By the end of this year, the SBMA is projecting P1.75-billion in port revenue earnings—about 2.77% higher than P1.706 billion earned in 2024, Aliño added.

According to SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Port Operations Ronnie R. Yambao, increased importation of assorted food items and other agricultural products buoyed Subic’s 18% imports growth.

A 437% surge in importation of non-containerized (dry bulk) cargo such as rice, and an 18% rise in timber imports likewise drove SBMA port earnings in cargo-handling services, Yambao said.

The rest of port operations income came from SBMA shares from joint-venture operations, miscellaneous tariff adjustments, and other port services fees, he said.

He also said that the SBMA’s efficient management of airport logistics and improvements in trade automation contributed to the increase in earnings from port operations.

Yambao said the SBMA Port Operations Group has committed to generate P3-billion revenues by 2030, and P10 billion by 2050, by taking advantage of the national government’s thrust to boost high-impact investments through the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC).

The LEC aims to accelerate trade and investments, boost logistics, and enhance supply chain connectivity by connecting the economic hubs of Subic, Clark, Manila, and Batangas through ports and railway.

Yambao said SBMA policies are being shaped towards increasing port revenues through aggressive global and domestic marketing campaigns, and creating alliances with local and international ports.

He also said the government has already appropriated P100 million for the first phase of SBMA’s shore power connection project that aims to make Subic the first carbon-neutral port in the country. 