Batangas port operator says terminal fee increase justified
Published Jul 20, 2025 08:23 pm
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – Asian Terminals Inc.-Batangas (ATIB), the operator of the Batangas International Port, cited huge operational expenses as justification for its plan to increase passenger terminal fee from P30 to P100.
THE new passenger terminal building at Batangas port. (Jerry Alcayde)
In an interview with a local vlogger here, Dominador Bustamante, spokesman of ATIB, said they have spent a total of P1.5 billion since 2024 to make the passenger terminal building an ultra-modern port facility that serves thousands of passengers bound to Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan and Western Visayas regions.
Bustamante said half of the operational expenses are for maintenance and 30 percent for labor. He said operational expenses comprised at least 75 percent of their gross income.
“The government did not spend any single centavo for these expenses as per concession agreement that we entered with it,” Bustamante told vlogger Mario Florecondia.
The ATIB spokesman said the increase is intended primarily to recover the costs of maintaining quality service at the port which is now considered the biggest in the Southern Tagalog region.
The terminal building offers a complete and world-standard amenities with fully-airconditioned system, giant travel announcement boards, shower provision for stranded passengers, and free shuttle service for senior citizens, pregnant women, and Persons with Disability.
In 2024, the terminal building was used by 1.7 million passengers enroute to and coming from Mimaropa and Western Visayas island-provinces.
From its previous capacity of 2,000, it can now accommodate 8,000 passengers at any given time, Bustamante said.
Oriental Mindoro, through Gov. Humerlito A. Dolor, however, opposed ATIB’s plan, saying that it will further add to financial burden of Mindorenos.
Dolor requested the provincial board to grant him an authority to file a civil action to stop ATIB from pursuing its plan.
Board Member Rolando H. Ruga, an ally of the governor and the proponent of a separate resolution, cited the absence of clear and transparent cost-justification of the increase and the potential negative impact on inter-island mobility, tourism, and trade particularly in the province.
The Philippine Ports Authority-Batangas held an online public hearing on July 4 on the petition filed by ATIB virtually attended by representatives of concerned government agencies and other stakeholders.