DOTr launches P16.93-B Cebu port to strengthen regional trade

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has officially launched the P16.93-billion New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP), a major infrastructure project aimed at decongesting the Cebu Base Port and boosting regional trade.

DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista led the groundbreaking ceremony in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu, highlighting the port’s role in enhancing the efficiency of cargo movement and vessel turnaround times. The facility is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2028.

“This project will pave the way for a seamless flow of goods and services, strengthening our economy and making our logistics chain more efficient,” Bautista said.

The NCICP, developed in partnership with the Cebu Port Authority (CPA), will feature a 500-meter berth, a water depth of negative 12 meters, and the capacity to accommodate two 2,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) vessels. The port will also be equipped with five quay cranes and a 1,365-meter access road connected by a 300-meter offshore bridge.

The transport chief noted that the port would generate employment, support local businesses, and enhance Cebu’s global competitiveness as a logistics hub.

The project is financed through official development assistance (ODA) from the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank serving as a transaction adviser.

Bautista emphasized that the new port would not only improve logistics and reduce congestion-related costs but also increase tax revenues and environmental savings through modern, efficient operations.

With construction now underway, the NCICP is expected to be a key driver of economic growth in Cebu and the broader Visayas region upon its completion.