The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said three cruise ship port projects are in the pipeline – Coron, Palawan; Buruanga, Aklan; and Mambajao, Camiguin – to enhance the country’s capability to accommodate growing international cruise ships demand.
This is on top of several major infrastructure projects for completion this year. These include the Salomague Port Expansion Project in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur; the San Andres Port Improvement and Expansion Project in Catanduanes; the Banago Port Improvement Project in Negros Occidental; and the Balingoan Port Expansion Project in Cagayan de Oro.
In 2024, PPA recorded a total container traffic of 7.82 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while cargo throughput reached 289.52 million metric tons (MTs).
These figures reflect an increase from the 7.51 million TEU container traffic and 272.46 million MT cargo throughput recorded in 2023.
Ship calls also rose significantly, reaching 621,807 domestic and foreign vessel calls, up from 562,888 in 2023.
Passenger traffic for 2024 stood at 78,742,521, including 134,742 cruise ship passengers, underscoring the growing demand for maritime transport and tourism-related activities.
