ICTSI taps AIIB for $300-M container terminals upgrade

The transaction demonstrates how AIIB can support infrastructure development.

DT·21 May 2026, 5:39 am·1 min read

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ICTSI taps AIIB for $300-M container terminals upgrade — AIIB and ICTSI officials applaud after signing the loan agreement. They are (from left) Manuel V. Pascua, ICTSI chief financial officer and chief risk officer; Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI executive vice president; Enrique K. Razon Jr., ICTSI chairman and president; Zou Jiayi, AIIB chair and president; Najeeb Haider, AIIB global director general, project and corporate finance clients; and Yong Zhou, AIIB chief officer, office of the president.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AIIB and ICTSI

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will lend $300 million to International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) to support the expansion and upgrade of three container terminals across the Philippines.

The senior unsecured corporate loan — AIIB’s first non-sovereign-backed transaction in the Philippines — was signed during a ceremony attended by Enrique K. Razon Jr., ICTSI chairman and president, and Zou Jiayi, AIIB president, as part of her first visit to the Philippines.

The loan will support technology-enabled infrastructure upgrades at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), the South Luzon Container Terminal (SLCT) currently under development in Batangas, and the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT).

Together, the investments are expected to increase annual container throughput capacity, improve berth productivity and contribute to the Philippines’ economic growth.

The financing will also support the purchase of fully electric quay cranes, and replacement of diesel-powered yard equipment, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from terminal operations.

The project will increase MICT’s capacity to 3.7 million 20-foot equivalent units by 2027, MCT’s capacity to around 1 million TEUs by 2028 and SLCT’s capacity to 800,000 TEUs by 2028.

“ICTSI represents exactly the type of partnership AIIB aims to build as the Bank enters its second decade,” Zou said. “This transaction demonstrates how AIIB can support infrastructure development by deploying innovative financing instruments and working closely with global operators who have the scale and execution capacity to deliver impact for the people we serve. We look forward to deepening this strategic relationship.”

Razon, on the other hand, said: “ICTSI welcomes this promising partnership with the AIIB, which supports our expansion and sustainability initiatives. We value AIIB’s shared commitment to long-term value creation, inclusive economic growth and responsible business practices, and as such, look forward to strengthening our partnership and accomplishing more together.”