SBMA cuts port, cargo fees to aid traders amid oil crisis

BUSINESS HUB Containers are seen stacked at the terminal yard of Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales in this photo taken in June last year. In a major relief measure, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has announced temporary fee reductions to assist port clients overcome the impact of the global oil crisis. —JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has implemented a host of fiscal relief measures, including a reduction in port fees, to help its clients cope with rising global fuel costs.

According to SBMA Chair and Administrator Eduardo Jose Aliño, the initiative is in line with the declaration by President Marcos of a state of national energy emergency due to the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

SBMA manages the Subic Bay Freeport, a leading hub for manufacturing, tourism and logistics in what was once an American naval base in Zambales province.

Cost-stabilizing strategies

Aliño said the temporary measures aim to assist industries affected by the crisis by ensuring that cost-stabilizing strategies for the transport and food sectors are implemented promptly.

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

He added that the benefits of the measures are expected to ripple across the supply chain—from importers, suppliers, consignees, vessel owners and consumers—to their operational counterparts, such as terminal operators, cargo handlers, brokers, consolidators, processors, ship agents and shipping lines.

Board approval

The measures, according to Aliño, were approved by the SBMA board on April 8.

Under the initiative, SBMA lowered by 5 percent its tariff on all commercial vessels, covering harbor fees, berthing or anchorage fees, and harbor cleaning fees.

A similar 5-percent reduction also applies to cargo charges, including wharfage and storage fees.

“We are also implementing a 5-percent tariff reduction on SBMA shares, such as pilotage, hauling and tugboat services, heavy equipment rental, line handling, chandling, water tendering, cargo handling for containerized cargo, and bunkering services,” Aliño said.

The agency also granted free storage for noncontainerized cargo and extended the free storage period by two more days.

To further support port users, SBMA suspended the collection of shares from terminal operators and cargo handlers for liquid bulk cargo handling and related activities.

It also suspended the implementation of the 1-percent admission fee for liquid bulk cargo and the slated 10-percent increase in cargo handling and miscellaneous charges for noncontainerized or general cargo.

Aliño said the measures would remain in force until geopolitical tensions ease and would be lifted through a formal issuance by the SBMA board.

Expected savings

Ronnie Yambao, SBMA senior deputy administrator for port operations, said the initiatives were expected to provide about P76 million in fiscal relief over one year.

Yambao added that direct tariff reductions alone were projected to account for about P49 million, while the suspension of new policies could save stakeholders and domestic consumers an additional cost of P25 million annually.

The extension of free storage periods is also expected to generate about P2 million in operational savings for port users within a year.

Last year, SBMA recorded P1.77 billion in port revenues, or a 4.2-percent increase from 2024, signaling continued growth for the Subic Bay Freeport as a key logistics and trade hub in Southeast Asia.

The SBMA Seaport Department contributed P1.47 billion to overall revenues, followed by the Airport Department with P182 million and the Trade Facilitation and Compliance Department (TFCD) with P125 million.

SBMA revenues also started strong in 2026. In January, it posted P113.7 million in revenues, a 13-percent increase from P100.4 million last year, with P97.7 million from the Seaport Department, P5 million from the Airport Department, and P11 million from TFCD.

Growth factors

Aliño explained that several factors fueled the growth, including a 52-percent increase in SBMA share collections, largely driven by a surge in noncontainerized cargo handling, such as rice (up 484 percent), corn (up 230 percent), wheat (up 48 percent), and soya (up 3 percent).

Vessel charges increased by 59 percent while cargo charges grew by 38 percent. Noncontainerized cargo volumes rose by 47 percent, with imported petroleum products up 46 percent, alongside a 17-percent increase in foreign ship calls, totaling 149 additional vessel arrivals.