Batangas terminal expanded

Batangas—Government officials welcomed the expansion of the Batangas Container Terminal (BCT), which would bolster efforts to spread economic growth outside Metro Manila, a key initiative of this administration.

This came as Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) and partner DP World of Dubai led the inauguration of BCT’s Berth 2.

The P2.5-billion project increased capacity at the facility by over 40 percent to 500,000 twenty foot equivalent units per year.

“The simultaneous and rapid development of the Clark Zone and Batangas port will be helpful in relieving the over-concentration of commerce and administration in Metro Manila,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said on Monday.

He was referring to massive developments in Clark, including the construction of new business districts and the expansion of the Clark International Airport under the administration’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure initiative.

“The program of the Build, Build, Build is to push out business opportunities to the regional areas outside Metro Manila and this is precisely what this project is doing here,” Dominguez said.

Also leading the event were Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who cited the world-class standards being adhered to in BCT, DP World group chair and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, and ATI president Eusebio Tanco.

Dominguez said projects like BCT would also help cut congestion in Metro Manila.

ATI estimated early this year that there were over 125,000 less truck trips along Metro Manila’s roads as consignees routed containerized cargo via BCT.

ATI said BCT handled a record 250,000 TEUs last year.

“With this additional berth, the Batangas Port complements the Port of Manila. This will spare Manila the curse of congestion experienced lately. This will provide a good alternative gateway to our rapidly expanding trade,” Dominguez said. —MIGUEL R. CAMUS