SUBIC BAY FREEPORT-Port terminal operator Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation (SBITC) has been authorized by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to collect wharfage fees from port clients on behalf of the government, the Subic agency belatedly announced on Thursday, August 27.
The new arrangement, the SBMA said, was formalized through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by the two parties on July 29 to streamline payment processes through SBITC’s online payment platforms.
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said the new arrangement will minimize face-to-face interactions, eliminate the need for clients to travel to the SBMA cashier’s office, and reduce waiting times for fee processing.
‘Ultimately, it simplifies doing business at the Port of Subic,’ Aliño pointed out.
SBITC, through its Head of Management Services and Government Affairs Henry Dungca, said that under the agreement, it will ensure transparent, accountable remittances of the wharfage fees collected on behalf of the SBMA.
‘This partnership goes beyond payment collection,’ Dungca said. ‘It enhances service speed, simplifies procedures, and improves the overall experience for all port users.’
SBITC, a subsidiary of global port management firm International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), manages Subic’s New Container Terminals (NCT-1 and NCT-2), which serve as the primary gateway for international trade and containerized cargo handling across Central and Northern Luzon.
In October 2025, SBMA extended SBITC’s concession for 25 years, or until 2058, with SBITC committing to invest more than $130 million in civil infrastructure and equipment upgrades at the Subic port terminal.
Before this arrangement, the SBMA, as manager of the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, collected wharfage fees for the maintenance and use of port infrastructure like docks and loading areas. The charges are determined by cargo weight, volume, or container size.
Aliño said the new arrangement ‘strengthens our public-private collaboration (in) securing essential revenue to sustain port operations, infrastructure, and future investments.’
The SBMA-SBITC deal also aligns with the direction adopted by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), wherein port operators handle fee collection on the government’s behalf, the SBMA said.