Port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) is investing PHP3 billion to expand operations at its Batangas Integrated Port with the addition of another roll-on/roll-off (RORO) berth. The new facility will serve as a dedicated staging area for imported completely built-up (CBU) vehicles.
Reginald Rivera, ATI assistant vice-president for commercial, ports and terminals, told reporters during the Abante Logistics 3rd Partners Forum— on October 15, 2025 under the theme “Technology as Driver of Efficiency” and organized by the United Portusers Confederation of the Philippines, Inc. (UPCP)—that the new berth is expected to be fully completed by 2028 or 2029.
“If all goes well, it should be operational by 2028 or 2029. We started already on the warehousing side. I think we’ve done on the tendering side,” Rivera said.
The decision to invest in a new berth solely for imported CBUs reflects ATI’s strong confidence in this segment. “That is an indication of the robust outlook that we have for the CBUs,” Rivera said.
In 2024, ATI’s International RORO Terminal in Batangas handled approximately 200,000 CBUs—about 60 percent of the country’s total CBU import volume. With the construction of the new berth, ATI aims to increase its capacity further.
Batangas port currently manages the majority—around 95 percent—of the Philippines’ total CBU imports, with just under 5 percent processed through Manila port. Last year, ATI handled 200,000 CBU units, and the company expects that number to grow to 230,000 units this year. Imported CBUs primarily come from Thailand and Indonesia, along with other countries, brought in by various car manufacturers.
Rivera noted that the growth in CBU volumes is being driven by increasing consumer affordability and the entry of new electric vehicle (EV) brands, particularly BYD and VinFast. He said EVs can be a growth driver in its port handling capacity with 5,000 units of EVs being handled already by the terminal as imports just started gaining momentum.
“We really have a lot of cars, right? I mean, people can buy cars. I’m surprised, I didn’t think that this EV brand would get as much traction as it’s getting right now,” he said.
He added that the concentration of CBU imports in Batangas is due largely to the location of many car manufacturers’ facilities in the southern part of Luzon. This also makes regional distribution more efficient from Batangas.
One-stop shop
Rivera said ATI aims to streamline operations by designating separate areas within the terminal for international and domestic cargo.
“The idea is to put all the containers and the CBU cars on the international RO-RO side of the terminal and the domestic on the other side of the terminal,” he explained.
The Batangas Integrated Port consists of four terminals:
- Batangas Container Terminal, an 18-hectare facility with an annual capacity of 500,000 to 600,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units)
- International RORO Terminal, part of a 22-hectare complex, with a static capacity of 13,000 units and an annual capacity of 250,000 CBUs
- General Cargo Terminal, with a static capacity of 580 TEUs and an annual capacity of 30,000 TEUs
- Passenger Terminal, which has a static capacity of 8,000 passengers and an annual capacity of 8 million to 12 million passengers—but is currently handling only about 3 million passengers
“We want to make Batangas a one-stop shop. Whatever is going to make things convenient for everyone who needs help in logistics, I think Batangas could be an answer to that in the way forward,” Rivera said.
