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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Stock Market devider Top Line plans Singapore trading unit to direct fuel imports

Top Line plans Singapore trading unit to direct fuel imports

Published Feb 25, 2026 10:51 am
Constance Marie Lim, Top Line first vice president and chief financial officer
Constance Marie Lim, Top Line first vice president and chief financial officer
Cebu-based fuel retailer and distributor Top Line Business Development Corp. plans to establish a trading subsidiary in Singapore to facilitate direct fuel imports and optimize its regional supply chain.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Feb. 25, Top Line said the new wholly owned unit is designed to streamline procurement by engaging directly with international suppliers, a shift intended to bypass middle-tier logistics and improve the company's cost structure.
Top Line’s decision to plant a flag in Singapore leverages the city-state's status as Asia’s primary oil trading hub. Positioned as a gateway between Middle Eastern refineries and the growing consumption markets of Southeast Asia, Singapore provides the infrastructure necessary for Top Line to scale its importation activities.
Top Line announcement follows the recent award of a certificate of registration by the Bureau of Customs to the company’s logistics arm, Topline Logistics and Development Corp., which cleared the regulatory path for broader trade operations.
“This initiative is a strategic step toward our long-term vertical integration strategy by optimizing our end-to-end supply chain,” Constance Marie Lim, Top Line first vice president and chief financial officer, said in the disclosure. 
“By establishing a trading presence in Singapore, we enhance our fuel supply reliability and efficiently structure our costs,” she added.
By managing its own international procurement, Top Line expects to capture better margins—savings it can pass down through its distribution and retail networks in the Visayas region.
Beyond its midstream ambitions, Top Line is rapidly scaling its retail footprint through its subsidiary, Light Fuels Corp.
The company recently completed the redevelopment of eight service stations in Northern Cebu, a project it refers to as “Cluster 1.” These stations were specifically redesigned to cater to the region's burgeoning fleet of motorcycles and light vehicles.
Top Line estimates that this initial cluster will generate monthly sales volumes ranging from 800,000 to 1 million liters, potentially capturing 80 percent of the fuel market in its immediate vicinity.
The company plans to roll out three additional clusters—numbered two through four—within the current year. These subsequent phases are expected to begin contributing to the group’s consolidated revenue stream by the fourth quarter, further insulating the firm against supply volatility while strengthening its grip on the provincial retail market.
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