MANILA, Philippines -- Business locators in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, collectively known as Calabarzon, now have access to more competitive port services via the Batangas Container Terminal, a modern port facility operated by publicly-listed Asian Terminals Inc.
The breakthrough was made possible through the collaboration of port stakeholders - aligned with government's Private-Public-Partnership thrust - who are advancing the Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) as an alternative gateway for cargoes destined for South Luzon.
Among its most active advocates is the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) led by Director General Atty. Lilia de Lima who has vigorously promoted the Batangas Port citing its ability to provide more convenient, efficient and cost-effective shipping services for importers and exporters.
In a recent dialogue with economic zone locators, Atty. Lilia de Lima along with Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Atty. Juan Sta. Ana emphasized that all the elements required by shippers are now in place at the BCT. These include the various port and ancillary service fees which are competitive with the Port of Manila, the fully-automated Bureau of Customs transactions and other value-added incentives provided by the port authorities.
Since January, Regional Container Lines (RCL) has established a regular weekly call at the BCT for its RSQ service (Singapore-Manila SH-Batangas-Qingdao-Xinggang-Pusan-Singapore). As a common feeder, RCL is in a strategic position to link-up inbound and outbound shipment to transshipment destinations for services of main line operators. Given the port's potentials, more international shipping lines have expressed interest in calling the BCT.
The Batangas Port has recently become a more viable option because it can be reached easier by clients in the Calabarzon. Through the BCT, importers and exporters can increase truck turn-around time and increase
