SBMA chief: P6.33-million Subic Bay Freeport expansion eyed
SBMA Chair and Administrator Eduardo Aliño says the Subic Bay Freeport is gearing up for a P6.33-million port expansion that includes additional berthing facilities and wharfs. (SBMA photo)
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Freeport is gearing up for a P6.33-million port expansion that includes additional berthing facilities and wharfs, the head of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) disclosed Tuesday.
SBMA Chair and Administrator Eduardo Aliño said the port expansion project is under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-Regional Development Master Plan.
“Subic Bay Freeport will have additional berthing facilities in the Boton Area alongside the expansion of the Boton Wharf with an approximate cost of P6.33 million,” Aliño announced during the Central Luzon Transport & Trade Conference 2024 held at the Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort on May 24.
READ: Japanese firm to hire 1,500 workers for Subic Freeport expansion
According to Aliño, the project would involve reclamation for a terminal expansion with a 10-hectare area, expansion and deepening of existing wharf by 1.5 meters, and construction of a general cargo and Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo) terminal.
He likewise said the New Container Terminal 3 will have a P20-billion expansion to include more berthing facilities and a quay with a length of 410 meters and a width of 700 meters, a total area of 28.7 hectares (ha), and a depth of 16 meters (m).
SBMA is also creating additional berthing facilities at the San Bernardino Road which will have a multi-purpose terminal that has a quay length of 400 meters, an area of 17.4 ha, and a depth of 12 m, Aliño added.
“The construction of the 400-m wharf will have warehouses and open spaces, an empty container yard, and a truck weigh scale area. The expansion at the San Bernardino Road will cost around P10 billion,” he said.
READ: P16-billion ‘world-class’ resort, casino to rise in Subic Bay Freeport
The Port Expansion Plan at the Redondo Peninsula, which includes the construction of a P9.35-billion multi-purpose terminal with a 600 m by 500 m quay that has a total area of 30 ha and a depth of 13.5 m is also in the pipeline, Aliño said.
“This will also include the construction of a 600-meter wharf, warehouses, an admin building, truck parking, truck weigh scale, a sentry gate, open storage, offices and facilities for workers,” he noted.
A proposed multi-purpose terminal in the Lower Mau area of the Subic Bay Freeport is likeiwse in the works, according to Aliño. This proposed project would include a 570-meter quay with a total area of 17.2 ha and a depth of 13 m, and feature similar amenities found in other multi-purpose terminals. It has an estimated cost of P10.19 million, the SBMA head said.
Aliño further said SBMA is boosting its shipping industry in North and Central Luzon.
“This is why we are pushing for these expansion plans, we want the world to know that Subic Bay Freeport is more than capable of handling their cargo,” he stressed.
