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President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. led the inauguration of the expanded Batangas Passenger Terminal Building, the country’s biggest so far, on April 26
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The upgraded terminal can accommodate 8,000 passengers, up from the previous capacity of 2,500 passengers
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. led the inauguration of the expanded Batangas Passenger Terminal Building, the country’s biggest so far, on April 26.
The inauguration marks the completion of a two-year $25-million modernization project, which in turn is part of a $90-million investment in Batangas port, according to a statement from DP World and Asian Terminals Inc. ATI operates the Batangas port. DP World is the foreign equity partner of ATI.
The terminal can accommodate 8,000 passengers at any given time from the previous 2,500, significantly increasing annual capacity to 12.8 million passengers from the previous 4 million, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
The facility features fully airconditioned lounges, facilities for the elderly and persons with disabilities, baggage x-ray machines, walk-through metal detectors, food concession stands, extensive CCTV coverage and multilevel car storage facility that can accommodate 13,000 vehicles.
“The Batangas port is one of the busiest passenger terminals in the country especially during peak seasons where we accommodate up to 22,000 passengers a day. It is now the largest inter-island passenger terminal building in the Philippines,” PPA general manager Jay Santiago said in a speech during the inauguration.
In his speech, Marcos described the port as “a gateway to the nation’s dynamic capital region, a portal to agricultural powerhouses, access point to island tourism paradises, and a receiver of goods that fill and fuel the vibrancy of our economy.”
He said: “Maximizing the port of Batangas helps in decongesting our Manila ports, causing the dispersal of economic activities to places more than capable of housing entrepreneurial and industrial boom.
“Today’s activity not only is a reaffirmation of the importance of this Port of Batangas, but as a vote of confidence in the promising and positive future of the entire CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol regions.”
He added, ”Of its many uses, nothing surpasses its success in connecting people from distant islands and diverse cultures, bringing them together in fruitful and enjoyable interaction that strengthens the national bond and the unity of Filipinos.”
Marcos together with PPA and ATI officials, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Batangas Governor Dodo Mandanas and House speaker Martin Romualdez toured the 15,000 square-meter terminal.
The modernization plan for the Batangas Passenger Terminal Building started in 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, construction began in 2021.
ATI inaugurated Phases 1 and 2A of the project in June 2022. The last of Phase 2 was finished in the first quarter of 2024.
Connecting mainland Luzon to Region IV-B or MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) to Visayas (Iloilo, Negros and Cebu) and Mindanao via fast crafts, ferries and roll-on/roll-off ships, the Batangas Port plays a significant role in stimulating the nation’s economy as a portal to agricultural areas, a gateway to island tourism destinations, and a hub for goods and other products, PPA said.
