SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Freeport and the neighboring town of Hermosa, Bataan are being considered for interlinkage with the proposed Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway Project.  

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Port Operations Ronnie Yambao said an eight-kilometer access road with two bridges is being proposed to connect Hermosa to Subic Freeport’s Naval Supply Depot.

The access road would cost ₱1.8 billion.

Yambao said the proposed road project was broached in a meeting among Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials, the SCMB Technical Working Group, key officials from the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and The Cadmus Group, as well as Hermosa Mayor Anne Adorable-Inton.

The group reportedly reviewed the logistics terminal between Hermosa and SBFZ, as well as trade volume, port statistics, and the alignment of the logistics roadmap and bypass road from SBFZ to Hermosa and also discussed the protection of the rights of indigenous communities to be affected by the project and possible compensation packages.

The SCMB Railway Project is a planned 250-kilometer freight railway project connecting four major economic hubs in Luzon, intending to decongest Manila’s port and improve logistics. 

The project is in the development stage, with a feasibility study being jointly undertaken by the United States, Sweden, and the Asian Development Bank, with technical assistance being provided by the US Trade and Development Agency.

The said SCMB Railway Project will link the Port of Subic, Clark International Airport, the Port of Manila, and the Port of Batangas, primarily aiming to serve as a freight cargo railway to ease congestion at the Port of Manila by ensuring the timely movement of products.

The said project is part of the broader Luzon Economic Corridor Initiative and is intended to drive investment and economic growth. 