By HENRY EMPEÑO | April 14, 2026

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has announced a five percent reduction in tariff and cargo charges, as well as the suspension of new port-related fee increases, to help stabilize costs for the transportation and food sectors.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said the cost-stabilizing measures will be temporarily implemented amid surging fuel prices and global trade disruption caused by the Middle East conflict.

The five percent tariff reduction will apply to charges on all commercial vessels, including harbor fees, berthing and anchorage fees, and harbor cleaning fees, and cargo charges like wharfage and storage fees, Aliño said in a statement on Tuesday, April 14.

He added the SBMA will reduce by five percent agency shares in pilotage fee, tugboat services, line handling services, water tendering, bunkering services, hauling service, heavy equipment rental, chandling services, and cargo handling for containerized cargo.

At the same time, the SBMA will provide additional two days of free storage for non-containerized cargo. This will extend free storage for import cargoes from 10 days to 12 days; seven to nine days for export cargo; 10 to 12 days for transshipment; and two to four days for domestic cargo.

Under the strategic cost-stabilizing program, Aliño said the SBMA will also suspend the implementation of new policies for the following: collection of SBMA share from terminal operators and cargo handlers for liquid bulk cargo handling; implementation of 1% admission fee for liquid bulk; and implementation of a 10% increase on cargo handling and miscellaneous charges for non-containerized cargoes.

“These initiatives, including reduced fees and extended free storage, provide a fiscal cushion to reinforce investor confidence and prevent supply chain bottlenecks,” said Aliño.

He said the measures will result in a cascading effect throughout the supply chain that will benefit port stakeholders like importers, suppliers, consignees, vessel owners, and consumers, as well as their respective counterparts in terminal operation, cargo handling, brokerage and consolidation, processing and ship management, as well as shipping.

Aliño said the measures will take effect immediately upon approval and ratification by the SBMA Board of Directors. They will remain in force “until geopolitical tensions subside, at which point they shall be lifted via formal issuance by the Board,” he added.

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Port Operations Ronnie Yambao, meanwhile, said the tariff reduction and other relief measures would provide financial relief to port stakeholders to the tune of P76 million in a one-year period.

Approximately P49 million will be saved through direct tariff reductions, Yambao said. The suspension of policies for fee increases, meanwhile, will save P25 million, and the extension of free storage periods will save P2 million, he added.

SBMA officials said early this month that the agency’s port operations revenue increased by 13 percent early this year due to a 47 percent upsurge in grains and petroleum products imported through the Port of Subic.

They said the growth in SBMA’s port income reflected increased imports of rice, which grew by 484 percent, corn by 230 percent, wheat by 48 percent, soya by 3 percent, and petroleum products by 46 percent. These directly increased the agency’s share from port operations by 52 percent.

Last year, SBMA’s port operations generated revenues totaling P1.77 billion, a 4.2 percent increase over the total collections of P1.7 billion recorded in 2024. ▲