SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has given the subsidiaries of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) here the permission to extend its operation of the New Container Terminals (NCTs) for another 25 years.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed at the ACEA Subic Beach Resort in Subic Bay Freeport on October 3, 2025, for the “25-year Extension of Contract for the Operation and Management of the NCT.”
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño stated that the ICTSI subsidiaries, Subic Bay International Terminals Corp. (SBICT) and ICTSI Subic Inc. (ISI), will continue to operate and manage the New Container Terminals 1 and 2 (NCT-1 and NCT-2).
Aliño and ICTSI Executive Vice President Christian Gonzalez both signed the MOA, witnessed by SBITC Vice Chairman Juan Miguel Delgado and SBMA Director Honorio Allado III. The MOA will allow the SBITC and ICTSI to operate and manage NCT-1 and 2 until the year 2058.
SBITC plans to invest over USD$130 million in civil infrastructure and additional equipment as part of its investment and development plan under the extended concession.
These will include the replacement of the terminal’s four existing quay cranes and acquisition of one additional quay crane, increasing the total to five, as well as the integration of more hybrid rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes.
According to VP Gonzalez, these investments will further enhance terminal capabilities, boost operational efficiency, and increase the combined annual capacity of NCT-1 and NCT-2 from 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to one million TEUs.
“We are thankful to SBMA for trusting us and treating us as the right partner to continue until 2058. Across all the 30-plus terminals we operate around the world, no matter how difficult the place, no matter how challenging, the one thing that represents the trust in ICTSI and the partnership with the local authorities–the government and the regulators–is seeing your contract extended,” he added.
The NCT serves as a critical international shipping gateway for industries in Central and Northern Luzon, including the economic zones of Subic and Clark. Part of the expansion and upgrades includes the SBITC’s increase in reefer plug capacity to 1,000 by the end of 2025 to support cold chain logistics.
Recent additions to its fleet include near-zero emission (NZE) rubber-tired gantry cranes, tractors, and trailers to improve terminal efficiency. Plans are also underway to automate gate operations by early 2026 and implement a new digital platform for online payments and truck appointments.
