SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has reduced port tariff rates and extended free e-bus services to help Freeport companies cope with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Under Resolution No. 26-04-1768, approved during the 79th Board meeting on 21 April 2026, SBMA granted a further reduction in port tariff rates in support of Executive Order No. 110.
Executive Order No. 110, signed in March 2026, declared a State of National Energy Emergency due to tensions in the Middle East and introduced the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport program.
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said the agency will implement an additional 30 percent reduction on top of the earlier 5 percent cut under Board Resolution No. 26-04-1766, bringing the total reduction to 35 percent.
The cuts cover charges on vessels, harbor fees, berthing or anchorage fees, harbor cleaning fees, charges on cargoes and wharfage fees.
Aliño said the agency will also reduce transport costs and continue the full fare subsidy for e-buses as part of its relief measures.
These include a 50 percent reduction in road user’s fees, the deferment of planned rate increases, and the continued implementation of free e-bus transport services within the Freeport.
He said the measures are temporary and may be lifted upon SBMA’s recommendation once geopolitical tensions ease and supply chain conditions normalize.
“The SBMA’s actions to reduce port tariff rates and continue the full fare subsidy for e-buses is in support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s thrust to ensure stability in the country during this State of National Energy Emergency in the Philippines due to global oil supply disruptions and rising prices,” Aliño said.
The measures apply to stakeholders affected by the ongoing crisis, including importers, suppliers, consignees, vessel owners and end consumers, as well as intermediaries such as terminal operators, cargo handlers, customs brokers and shipping lines.
“These interventions are strategically implemented to ensure that economic relief and enhanced efficiencies are achieved throughout the entire supply chain, thereby securing the uninterrupted flow of goods from initial port arrival to final destination,” Aliño said.